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A TRUE HISTORY 

OF 

THREE ORPHANS 



By 
BERNARD WETTSTEIN 



Service Print Shop 
Dunkirk, N. Y. 






Copyrighted 1917 
B. WiiiT'x'toTiiilN 



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MAR 17 1917 


©CI.A457525 


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BETTER LATE THAN NEVER 

If it hadn 't been for the advice of some of my friends, 
to write this History of Three Orphans, of whom the 
author is the only one living, "A True History of Three 
Orphans ' ' would never have been printed. It took a long 
time to think it over and over, when finally I picked up 
courage and came to the conclusion that it is better late 
than never. But as I am not a college graduate, I hope 
those who read my book will be kind enough to allow me 
a little leeway for my shortcomings, so that I may pass 
along without fear or favor, to those that may not agree 
with some of the remarks I made in some of the chapters. 
And in conclusion I wish to state that if anyone old or 
young, derives any benefit from reading "A True His- 
tory of Three Orphans", I shall be well repaid. 

THE AUTHOR. 



CONTENTS 

I— Early Life of Three Orphans 9 

IT — An Attempt to Escape 23 

III— My First Sea Voyage 33 

IV— To the Land of the Midnight Sun 42 

V — Several Voyages Briefly Described 55 

VI — Crossing the Equator 66 

VII — Europe to New York and Return 80 

VIII— The Stormiest Voyage of My Career ... 88 

IX — A Pleasant Voyage to Australia 98 

X — Resumed the Life of a Sailor 117 

XI — Again Shipped for England 132 

XII — South America and India 142 

XIII — Divide Rations With Crew in Distress . . 150 
XIV— To the Dark Continent With a Trader . .156 

XV — Sailing the Great Lakes 165 

XVI— The Three Orphans Meet Again . . . .172 



CHAPTER L 

EARLY LIFE OF THE THREE ORPHANS 

In the early twenties of the Eighteenth century, many, 
of the young men of Switzerland emigrated to the Land 
of Dykes, to swear allegiance to, and join the Army of 
the Netherlands. One of them was J. Wettstein, the 
father of the author of this story. 

After a year or more in the Army, Mr. W. sent for his 
betrothed and soon afterwards they became man and 
wife. Tn a short time they were permitted to keep the 
Canteen, which was left vacant by the death of a former 
keeper. However, while Mr. W. was running the Can- 
teen (living outside the Barracks) he still had to at- 
tend to his duties in the military ranks. 

In the course of time there were six children born to 
them, three dying in infancy. One of the children, a beauti- 
ful little girl of eleven years, was burned so badly that 
after lingering a few days, death relieved her of her suf- 
ferings. This occurred in 1844 and as Mr. W. had been 
laid to rest a year before, it left the poor and grief strick- 
en wife and mother with two boys, J. William and myself 
— Bernard, the former born in the City of Groesbeck 
(1838) and the latter in Fendlo-Limburg*(1840.) 

In the spring of the next year, the Fourth Regiment 
of Infantry shifted from Koevorden to the City of Gron- 
ingen, but as our mother had a sister, whose husband was 
an officer in the same rank, she followed them a few 
months later. As mother was very handy at needlework, 
when we were well settled in our new home, she picked 
up considerable work, which togiether with the little 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 



money she had, we managed to get along fairly well, un- 
til her health gave out and in the spring of '49 she died 
from fever. 

As William was nearly eleven and I was almost nine, 
the reader can well imagine how sad and sorrowful we 
looked, as we were taken to the Orphan Asylum, where 
we were treated and cared for in such a loving and kindly 
manner by those who had the orphans in their charge, as 
to partly lessen our grief. As I look back to the days 
of our sad and unfortunate childhood, when our beloved 
parents, the dearest friends the world could give us, were 
taken away from us so early in life, I cannot refrain from 
stating how fortunate we were to have been placed in the 
care of people,, who were of the best. If we could have 
stayed there and learned a trade, as we grew older and 
become useful workers in the world of industry, it would 
have saved many sad tears in years to come, but that was 
not to be. 

On the 20th of December, about nine months after our 
dear mother died, we were told by the Superior that we 
were to be taken to another institution, under the care 
and management of the Government. This was very sad 
news for us, for we were only children and had naturally 
begun to forget (in a measure) the bereavement of our 
mother and to regain our boyish spirits. The reader can 
imagine how we felt, as we went to our quarters that 
night and asked each other such questions as, "Why do 
they want to take us away from here! Why not let us 
stay here, where poor mother is near us and the people 
are so kind?" This and more of such childish talk 
pierced our little hearts and caused the warm tears to 
trickle down our cheeks. 

The reader must remember that our parents came 
from a foreign country and our father joined the army 

10 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 



and served almost twenty-four years, which made it im- 
possible to become a bonifide citizen of any of the eleven 
provinces of Holland, and such being the case, we were 
temporarily placed under the care of those people, to 
whom I can but give the highest praise. While we were 
taken care of, up to the time the Government stepped in, 
the expense of our maintenance was afterwards de- 
ducted from the little inheritance that Mr. Wettstein left 
his children, of which our mother was to have a share; 
however she did not receive any before she died. 

Before we went to bed that night we were told they 
would call us at four o'clock in the morning, and that a 
man would come to take us away, and what a nice ride we 
would have. Thus on the 21st of December, about four 
o'clock in the morning, we were gently roused from our 
sleep to get ready for the ride. After washing, we sat 
down to our breakfast, while a lunch was prepared for us 
to eat on the road, in case we should become hungry be- 
fore we reached our destination. Shortly after we had 
finished our meal, the driver came with his wagon and 
we were prepared for the ride. When we were in the 
heavy canvas covered wagon, two of the good ladies saw 
that we were well tucked in and comfortable and with 
many blessings and good-byes, we started. 

When we were well on our way out of the city, we 
noticed that there was a brisk wind blowing against 
;the canvas behind us and that a light snow was falling. 
Mr. Bodonstaf, the driver, a man well up in years, had 
served the government for many years in the same ca- 
pacity, making two trips a week, starting at nine o'clock 
in the evening and getting back in two days. Thus he 
had one day in the city to attend to business affairs, as 
he always took some miscellaneous merchandise with 
him. He drove one of the best teams in the country; 

11 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

when they were too old for the road they were re- 
placed by a younger team. As the roads were in good 
shape and the horses making good time, we arrived at an 
inn about noon, the usual time Mr. Bodenstaf stopped 
to feed and rest his horses and eat his lunch. As the 
weather was cold, we little fellows had gradually begun 
to feel the effects of its frigidness, we crawled out of our 
bundled-up quarters and made for the inn, where we sat 
down beside a good old warm Dutch fireside and ate 
our lunch with a cup of hot coffee, making us feel more 
cheerful for the time being, almost as cheerful as when 
we lived where we had felt the hardest blow The Al- 
mighty Doer can inflict on two children, the taking away 
of their dear mother. After spending about an hour's 
time at the inn, we were once more (with the help 
of Mr. Bodenstaf) stowed away in the big wagon, a 
little nearer the flaps of his overcoat that were hanging 
over the back of the seat and facing the rear of the 
wagon. 

With the wind increasing and a continuation of 
snow flurrries, the two noble looking blacks started 
out again on a trot and between four and five o'clock 
we arrived at the front entrance of the Institution, 
where my brother and I were to spend many long years 
as exiles, so to speak, until we were old enough to take 
our part in the world of strife and honest endeavor. 

To earn a living by the sweat of our brows in order 
to keep body and soul together, in a world so densely 
populated about which, even at the age of young man- 
hood, we knew nothing. However as we were only cliil- 
dren and as thousands of other unfortunate orphans, 
our thoughts centered chiefly on our meals and the play- 
ground, except those which lay closest to our hearts, 
which we never could forget. 

12 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 



We were lead through the main gate of the Insti- 
tution and right through the park, then another gate 
and turning to our right — presto — we entered our quar- 
ters. The first thing that commanded our boyish at- 
tention was a large hall with a stove in the center, around 
which, were grouped a number of children (their ages 
ranging from six to twelve years) ; some were sitting 
near the stove and some were playing, but when we 
went in all looked at us in such a way as to make us 
feel a little bashful, a complaint I never was troubled 
with before nor after. It may be, however, that my 
seeming bashfulness was somewhat mixed with a boyish 
pride, not very commendable, for as I gazed at those 
unfortunate specks of humanity, something struck me 
very forcibly which made me feel as though they were 
not in our class, or in other words, not as good as we. 
Their clothing was so coarse and looked so odd with their 
little pointed wooden shoes, that if their hair had been 
long and braided into queues, they would have looked 
like so many little Chinamen. My brother and I were 
always neatly togged up and carefully dressed by our 
mother for school; we had never worn wood instead of 
leather on our feet (I hope.) Whoever reads this story 
will forgive me for letting my small head swell out 
of its normal size, for it regained its proper size very 
quickly. 

When we had been in the hall a few minutes, two 
women nurses came to us and attended to our wants, 
then the tables were set and we had supper. Every- 
thing was very clean and whatever was done went like 
clockwork, which generally is the case in such institu- 
tions. After supper, prayer was read and we were 
all sent to bed. While my brother and I were talking 
about our strange surroundings, there was a great com- 

13 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

onotion on one end of the hall and in few minntes, with 
the help of the older boys, all the hammocks, which 
were hanging close to the ceiling on both sides of the 
wall, were lowered to a certain distance from the floor. 
Thus for the first time we were to sleep in a hammock, 
something we had never seen before, and as I was try- 
ing to imitate the other boys by jumping in without an 
effort, I went flop with all the bed clothing and mattress 
on top of me, much quicker than if I had tried to do the 
trick. However, I did not cry, but in my inner self 
felt very much humiliated when the boys around me 
burst out laughing. My brother did the trick better 
than I, but as he had passed his eleventh birthday and I 
was not quite ten, age stood in his favor for acrobatic 
accomplishments. When I was once settled in my ham- 
mock, my thoughts went back to the happy home and 
tears came to my eyes and I eventually cried myself 
to sleep. 

About seven o'clock in the morning, we were awak- 
ened and the hammocks made up and everything put 
in order; then movable tables were set and attention 
was called, the children standing between the benches 
and the tables, the oldest at the head of the table and 
so on down, according to age. After breakfast we scat- 
tered in every direction, some playing out-doors and 
some sitting down on wooden seats, which were placed 
on both sides of the hall, running from one end to the 
other. These seats were divided in sections of ^ve little 
bureaus, made all in one, being about ten feet long and 
sixteen inches wide, with little doors in front ; thus each 
child had a little cupboard in which to keep his cloth- 
ing. As there were as many hammocks as there were 
cupboards, there was never any confusion in finding 
one's place. School was kept from nine to twelve in 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

the forenoon and from one to four in the afternoon, six 
days in the week, except for a half holiday on Saturday 
afternoon. 

After staying about two years on the outer side of 
the institution at the rear, we were transferred to an- 
other, on the inner side of the Asylum, facing the park, 
which was divided into eight parts, having two main 
roads and four walks. The two roads cross the center 
of the park in opposite directions. The asylum was 
built of brick and the roof of red tile. The whole struc- 
ture had such a formidable appearance, that it. looked 
more like a huge barrack than an orphan asylum, to a 
stranger. The space between the park and the building 
was about eight rods wide, with a picket fence around 
it about ten feet high and a gate in the center facing 
the park. 

In the summer the gates were closed at nine o'clock 
at night, but in the winter they were closed earlier. 
There were five departments in the institution, each 
managed by a superintendent, all married men and 
they and their wives were spoken of as father and 
mother. As the number of Protestants predominated 
over the number of Catholics and Jews, it was neces- 
sary to have five departments. All the rules and regula- 
tions applied to the girls, the same as the boys, the 
former living in opposite directions from the latter, 
facing the park from the other side. To make a fair 
estimate of the number of orphans that were housed 
within the walls of the institution, I would say about a 
thousand. 

Within the Institution there was a spinning factory, a 
shoe shop, tailor shop and a carpenter shop, besides a 
dye factory. They were all on the second floor at the rear 
end of the building, except the dye factory, which was on 

18 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

the first floor. The hospital which occupied about half 
of one floor, was spacious and clean. The laundry stood 
somewhat back from the main building on a large plot of 
ground, where on two occasions they held a Kermis-Fair 
for the benefit of the orphans. 

There were three churches situated about a half mile 
from the Asylum, also seven well-stocked farms, under 
the management of seven experienced farmers superin- 
tended by a director and two overseers. Near the Asy- 
lum was also a sheep station, in which was kept about a 
thousand sheep. Each farmer employed a teamster and 
stableman, besides an orphan as helper. At the age of fif- 
teen years all the orphans who were able to do so, had to 
work on the farms from seven to twelve in the morning 
and from one to five in the afternoon and then after sup- 
per, night school was kept from seven till nine o'clock. 
Whenever a scholar had made ail the grades successfully, 
he was notified by the father to that effect and then if he 
were not able to work on the farms, he could work in the 
shops or factories and learn a trade of his own choosing. 
If however, he was unable to do any such work at all, he 
would help in the kitchen, peeling potatoes and cleaning 
vegetables ; such orphans were not restricted as the rest. 

One day, about eighteen months after my brother and 
I had been in the inner department, we were notified by 
the father to get ready for a little trip to the City of 
Groningen, our home town. Mr. Bodenstaf , the old team- 
ster would take us to a nice place where we could have a 
pleasant vacation of about three weeks. It was in the 
Summertime and I can hardly describe my feelings, as 
we were told the good news, but I think we must have felt 
likei two young rabbits chasing each other in an early 
clover field. The second day after this good news, we 
started at nine o'clock in the evening — a beautiful 

16 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

night — with a bright moon and brilliant stars and it made 
the true lover of nature gaze with wonder at the blue 
mantle of the heavens, which lay over the little country — 
The Land of Windmills and made it look serene and calm, 
as to inspire us with new and happy thoughts and make 
us forget the sadness of the past. 

Mr. Bodenstaf being an inveterate smoker, from time 
to time he would stop his horses, refill his pipe and talk 
to us like a good Dutch uncle and finally he let his horses 
go their own gait — a slow trot. 

Early in the morning, when things were beginning to 
show signs of life, we entered the city and presently stop- 
ped before a private house, where we were welcomed by a 
kind old lady, whose husband had been dead only a year. 
She had two young sons, who spent their leisure time in 
fishing and we always went along with them. As we were 
permitted to do as we wished, we made many tramps 
through the city, but we never thought of going to see our 
friends. 

The time passed very quickly, as is always the case 
when one is cheerful and contented and does not have any 
sad thoughts. When our time was up, Mr. Bodenstaf 
came for us early in the morning and took us back to the 
Asylum and as we had had a very pleasant visit and were 
treated well with every consideration, we were not quite 
as happy as when we started out for our trip, for we 
were going back to a place we did not like, but old people, 
as well as young have to do things they do not like on 
certain occasions whether they are for better or worse, 
it is a hard matter to say. But let us be thankful and say 
they are for the best until something comes along to 
make us think otherwise. 



17 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

William by this time was nearly fifteen years old and 
as he had his choice of working on the farm or learning 
one of the few trades, he chose the farm. "While he did 
not have to go to school in the daytime, he was compelled 
to attend school in the evening from seven to nine, until 
he was far enough advanced in his studies to be promoted 
into a class where the boys and girls attended only three 
times a week. When a scholar had made all the grades, 
he was free from going to school except on Sunday even- 
ings. However, this was done away with before we left 
the school, which I always regretted for in this class they 
taught music and singing. 

Of course when my brother was transferred to the 
farm, I was somewhat lonesome, going to school 
every day in the week, except on Tuesday when we went 
to church to learn our Catechism and twice on Sunday. 
It was a pleasant pastime in summer. It was not quite 
so nice in the Winter, for we would often come from the 
church soaking wet, still the time passed quickly. It was 
on these occasions the children had time to exchange a 
few words of sympathy and I generally mixed mine with 
some honest flattery for the girl I liked. Thus as in many 
cases the boy and girl became so attached to each other, 
that when it was necessary for one of them to leave the 
Institution, their attachment had become so strong it 
caused many tears to roll down the cheeks of the poor 
unfortunate lovers. At the hour of their departure, they 
met at the center or some corner of the park to 
pledge their troth and for the first time give way to their 
pent up feelings and embrace each other, hoping and 
praying that they may meet again and love till death do 
part them. 

It was on such occasions that many of the orphans 
who had to stay for another year or more, looked very 

ll 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

much down at the mouth, while some after they had shak- 
en hands and said good-bye, would go off and weep. On 
several occasions, while we were there some of the or- 
phans took French leave, with the intention of never com- 
ing back. This however, was quite a hard proposition, as 
others learned before my time came to depart. In the 
first place, there was a wide stretch of country on both 
sides of the Institution, on which no one lived and for 
miles and miles vegetation was absent, except for a low 
and very dense growth of bushes that bore little pink and 
white flowers, making an ideal place for bees to gather 
their honey; it was also a good place to raise sheep. 
These bushes were used in making brooms. The soil was 
very well fitted for raising buckwheat and every autumn 
twenty or thirty of the oldest boys went out and threshed 
the grain with old-fashioned flails. My brother and I 
each had a whack at it and I well remember how bitter 
cold it was when we started out at seven o'clock sharp, 
the wind blowing from the east. It was at least three 
miles from the main building and as we had no particular 
boss to keep us together, the whole crowd came and went 
as they pleased. 

As soon as we got to the fields, everything was ready 
for us to go to work and we worked with a will for about 
five hours. This work lasted only a few days and the 
buckwheat was all out of the way and nobody the worse 
for it. 

However, man is only a human animal and can get 
used to almost anything, no matter how hard the task, if 
he starts at it when he is young and grows up with it, pro- 
viding he gets enough to eat to keep him from starving 
and not enough to make him sick. In other words, if one 
has just the right amount of food, it keeps one's stomach 

19 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

in a healthy condition and what is better than a healthy 
stomach and what is worse than a bad one? 

My brother and I, however, did not get as mnch to eat 
as we would have liked, still we were both fleshy and our 
cheeks were as red as roses. As for our teeth, they were 
as firm and as strong as the tines of a pitch-fork; this 
was probably due to the good old-fashioned rye bread. 

It was about this time that I had an attack of dropsy 
that laid me up for many weeks in the hospital and at 
one time they thought I was going to the land of my fath- 
ers, however, the good doctor relieved my system of all 
the excess water I had in me and I got better. "When I 
became stronger I went to work on the farm, as I was 
about through all the grades, I only had to go to school 
every other night ; this lasted about ten months. At the 
end of this time, the school professor sent in my dis- 
charge along with some other scholars', to the father giv- 
ing us such praise as he thought we deserved. 

About a year after this my brother got yellow fever 
and was in the hospital for nearly two months. After 
this all went well for about two years, until I had an at- 
tack of what was called the cold fever and was taken once 
more to the hospital. For twelve days in succession I 
had a very bad spell each day, which lasted for about two 
hours, then came a change and I had the spells every 
other day. The doctor told me to be patient and not cry 
and I would recover all right. One day, I did not have 
the spell and I felt so happy I almost forgot that I was ill 
at all; however, on the third day I had an attack and it 
came as regularly every three days, as it had before 
every other day. This lasted for three months, then the 
fevers became lighter and finally I fully recovered, but I 
was left so weak and thin, I could scarcely walk across 

20 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

the room. The good old doctor kept me in the hospital 
until I was strong and well enough to go home, which was 
about a year from the time I entered it. 

One day several of us were sent out to do some work 
on one of the farms, which extended to private property 
lines. The farmer, who managed this farm, selected me 
to help the stableman and to do chores for his wife. They 
had adopted a little seven year old girl, whom they 
wanted to send to the village school, which was about two 
miles distant and stood on the edge of a strip of wood- 
land, between the farm and the village. 

I had only been on the farm a few days, when I was 
asked if I was willing to take Macky — the little girl — to 
school in the morning and meet her half way in the after- 
noon. Of course I said yes, as it was a soft snap and 
about the first and the last I ever had in my life, up to 
within a few years of the time I am writing this story. 
Perhaps, dear reader it is not always best to be brought 
up on soft snaps, unless one can keep it up and continue 
so doing until one leaves this world never to return. 
But what satisfaction is it for one to live on nothing but 
soft snaps, instead of trying to do a small share of the 
hard and dirty work in this world to lighten the burdens 
of one's fellowmen? He is the very one, who with num- 
berless others sends in petitions for higher wages, think- 
ing only of themselves. In my way of thinking, such 
people (and there are train! oads in Uncle Sam's domain 
to-day) are no better than so many drones in a bee-hive. 
However, we will not be too hard on them, for perhaps 
they are placed among us as necessary evils and when 
they die they will be quickly forgotten, as they will have 
done nothing for which to be remembered. 

The road that led through the woods to the school 
house gave me a good chance to study the lay of the land, 

21 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

the very road that any brother and I had traveled with 
Mr. Bodenstaf on the way to the Orphan Asylum; later 
I took advantage of it. 

I stayed with the farmer a long time, until I was sent 
with a crew of boys to dig several acres of potatoes. The 
years rolled by and every spring many of the boys and 
girls left the asylum, which always stirred up my feelings 
and made me do a foolish act — run away to never re- 
turn. I told no one of my plans, except my closest class- 
mate and asked what he thought about it, and to my sur- 
prise he was right with me. So we talked and planned, 
until we came to the conclusion that at the first opportun- 
ity we would run away. Of course, it was a foolish idea 
to think that we poor orphans could start out in the world 
without a recommendation from anyone, without a cent 
and no friends, the former being the best to get along with 
and the latter the hardest to find, when one is in need of 
a friend. 

However, we were only boys and knew practically 
nothing outside of our limited surroundings, we hadn't 
even begun to think of ourselves, but we thought we 
knew enough to lookout for ourselves and defy the au- 
thorities. One thing that made me determined to leave 
was that my brother, in less than a year, would leave the 
institution and I would have to remain two years longer. 
So I thought I would go ahead of my brother and meet 
him some place when the time came for him to leave; as 
for the girl, who was two years younger than myself and 
for whom I began to have as much affection as a good 
brother for his dear sister, I would write to her and try 
and meet her when she left the Asylum. 



22 



CHAPTER II. 

AN ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE 

Finally one beautiful Autumn day, when my class- 
mate and I were working in the field, out of sight of the 
rest of the boys, we sneaked away and made for the 
woods. We had hardly reached the woods, when my 
chum began to slacken his pace and gradually slowed 
down from a trot to a walk and he was several rods be- 
hind me before I noticed him. When I had made the 
brush, I stopped and asked, "What is the matter, are you 
getting tired?" "No, I am not," he said, "But I was 
thinking it over and guess it would be better for us to go 
back and wait for a better opportunity and be better pre- 
pared than we are now." Such was his excuse and he 
offered a good many more, but the truth of it all was, 
my good friend, Pete got scared out and I either had to 
turn back or go on alone and I chose the latter, much to 
my sorrow. 

I told Pete, before we parted, that I had an Aunt who 
lived in Groningen and if I could reach the City before 
the gates were closed, I would go to her house and per- 
haps she would take me in. I also told him to tell no one 
which road I took and with a handshake we parted. 

As the wood was free from all underbrush, it did not 
take me long to get to a crossroad, which led to the main 
road and this I had traveled before often. However, in 
order to save time I changed my course about two points 
to my left, cutting off quite a distance by the time I came 
out of the wood. 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

The weather was fine and as the roads were in good 
condition for traveling, I put forth all my energy to 
reach the City before the gates should close for the night, 
getting there between eight and nine o 'clock in the even- 
ing, as I remember. 

Once in the City, I soon found the street where my 
Aunt lived, as my brother and I had visited her several 
times while our mother was living. When I came to the 
house, I went up to the front door and rang the bell and 
a young girl came to the door. I asked her if Mrs. So- 
and-So lived there. She said "Yes" and went to call my 
Aunt. Presently my aunt came to the door and I knew 
here at once, as she looked so much like dear mother; 
she stood in the doorway and looked at me as I pleaded 
my cause and for a few minutes she hesitated, not know- 
ing whether to slam the door in my face or to take me in 
as a poor wayward orphan of her unfortunate and de- 
parted sister. Much to my surprise, she chose the for- 
mer, and as I had not expected such treatment my clogged 
brain began to stir itself; for the first time in my life I 
began to think a little as a man and I began to regret my 
folly and feel a little lonesome. However, as I had no- 
body to blame but myself for my predicament, I had to 
suffer the consequences and make the most of it. 

When I left the house of my good relation. I changed 
my course and went to one of the City gates where there 
was a guard house ; when I was within a few feet of the 
sentry, I stopped and asked him if he thought the ser- 
geant would let me stay at the guard house for the night. 
He said he did not know, but I could go in and ask the 
sergeant for himself. I went inside the guard house and 
turning to my right, I found myself in a little room with 
»the night officer, who was writing at a table. I stood 
there fully a minute, before he raised his head and giving 

2^ 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

me a surprised look, asked me what I wanted. I told my 
story briefly, for I had decided what I wanted to say be- 
fore I went in. While I was talking to the sergeant, the 
corporal came in from the next room, who must have 
heard me talking before he entered, as there were only 
thin partitions between the rooms where the officers and 
guards slept and any loud conversation could be heard. 
When the corporal came in the sergeant asked, "What do 
you think of it, Bill? What shall I do with this young 
fellow?'' "If I were boss, I'd give that boy a night's 
lodging and give him something to eat and I know you 
will, sergeant," replied Bill. "As for being responsible 
for a runaway orphan who wants to see the country, we 
need have no fear, for if the authorities want him, they 
will get him in spite of all we could do." Thus, with the 
good corporal pleading in my favor, the sergeant let me 
stay for the night with the guards ; some were lying on 
the platform sleeping, and some smoking their pipes. 

One of the soldiers asked me if I was hungry and I 
nodded my head that I was. He gave me some bread 
which I stowed away quicker than I ever did before or af- 
ter. After many questions had been asked and answered 
I went to sleep and slept until they woke me at eight in 
the morning. After I had washed and was about ready 
to set out on the road again, they told me to wait a few 
minutes and they would give me some soup. I was no 
stranger to soup, for I had not forgotten when William 
and I lived near the barracks with our father and mother 
and were permitted to come and go as we pleased, for we 
had been born and spent a few years of happy childhood 
among the soldiers and thus were known by everyone 
from the highest officers down to the privates. At nine 
o'clock the soup appeared and I ate all I wanted and be- 
fore I left they took up a collection for me. Thus after 
many thanks I started out once more with a lighter heart, 

25 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

but before I was a great distance from the city I met a 
constable who gave me a suspicions look and asked me 
where I was going and where my home was. I told the 
constable that I was looking for work and he smiled and 
said, "You must be the boy who run away from the or- 
phan asylum Veenhuisen, for you answer to the descrip- 
tion. You had better come along with me." He won- 
dered why someone had not picked me up before, as it 
was an easy matter to identify me by my clothing, especi- 
ally my knitted cap. 

I was almost glad, however, when he took me to the 
first institution where my brother and I had lived. Much 
to my surprise no one came for me the next day and soon 
a week had passed and I was still in the home. I began 
to wonder if they were going to let me stay and if my 
guardian had anything to do with it. However, I was 
mistaken, as I have been a good many times since, after 
once becoming acquainted with people. The day before 
I was to go, the good old matron told me some one would 
come for me about seven o'clock the next morning. In 
the morning when I was eating my breakfast, the matron 
handed me twenty cents and I remember now it was all 
in pennies, then presto — in walked the policeman and 
without much ado took me along with him. 

This gentleman of the peace was a tall, well-built per- 
son with a bearing that commanded respect and he was as 
kind to me as anyone I ever met, while I was under his 
charge. First he took me to the Courthouse, where he 
received orders to take me to a place about three miles 
outside the City; here a constable would meet us. We 
traveled a different road going out of the City, passing 
through the most beautiful and interesting parts of that 
wonderful, ancient city, one of the oldest citadels of the 
Netherlands; a city surrounded by those artificial mounts 

2$ ~— | 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 



winch were thrown up in the Days of the Rise and Fall of 
the Dutch Republic, of which the great American histor- 
ian. Motley, gave such a graphic account. 

What pluck and perseverance those 'brave patriotic 
people must have had to struggle so many years to keep 
those human devils from invading the country they loved 
so well! What labor and skill it must have required to 
throw up those walls to such a height that when standing 
on top one could look over the whole city, to say nothing 
of the five draw-bridges that spanned the moat to meet the 
arches that pierced the wall, but at every entrance to the 
city, the moat was not as wide as the distance between 
them. On the side next to the mount, a solid brick wall, 
two or three feet wide kept back the earth from the 
mount and the ground behind it was covered with a thick 
growth of grass gradually sloping until it reached its cen- 
ter between the mount and the brick wall, thus forming a 
beautiful valley and charming playground for the chil- 
dren who liked to climb the sides of the sloping mount 
and slide down into the valley. There was also a place 
on top of the mount for the older people to walk and in- 
hale the fresh air; the walks were lined with trees. 

Many times William and I climbed the mount and slid 
down the sides into the valley and many times we walked 
on the terrace at the top. One day when we had strayed 
quite a distance from our usual playground, we met two 
men, walking backward, wearing aprons that were doub- 
led up to their breasts and letting out the flakes from 
which they spun rope, they were turning back from their 
last pole, when we met them. We went on until we came 
to a wooden building and as we were curious to see every- 
thing, we stayed longer than we ought to have and be- 
fore we got back to our play-ground it was quite dark, 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

however there was no wind and nature was in her calmest 
mood. As we had never been out at night before, we 
were somewhat frightened sliding down the slope; soon 
we heard poor mother calling us at the top of her voice 
and we answered, when we got home she gave us both a 
good spanking and then sat down and cried, however we 
were only children and did not realize the anxiety we 
were causing her dear heart. But I must go on with my 
story without any more sentimentalism. 

When the policeman and I were out of the city, he 
asked me if I liked cheese, I said "Yes'' "Well then 
come on in, ' ' he said when we reached a store, where they 
sold nothing but cheese. He gave me a good sized 
piece and said "Now you have something to nibble while 
we have a long distance to walk" He talked to me as 
we went along and gave me some good advice on many 
things, one thing in particular, I have never forgotten. 

As we neared the place where he was to leave me and 
put me in the charge of another officer, he said to me, 
"Now boy, do not desert again, it won't be long before 
they let you go and give you a chance to look out for 
yourself and when that time comes, remember this ad- 
vice, do not forget the teachings of your superiors, be 
honest and true to yourself and your fellowmen. What 
you do, do right, but do not believe everything you 
may be told or all you hear." He went on to say, 
"When I was young I had many fancy thoughts, but I 
tell you boy, all my castles tumbled as fast as I built them 
and I finally made up my mind to join the Army and 
served six years in the East Indies, then I got an honor- 
able discharge and a good job, as long as I behave my- 
self " When he stopped talking, I said, "When I am free, 
I would like to see as much of the world as you have, 

23 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

Sir.'- He smiled and said "Well boy, I have seen a lit- 
tle of the world, but who knows but what you will see 
more than I ever heard about. ' ' 

By this time, we were near the hotel, where we were 
to stop and as we entered, we noticed two gentlemen at 
a table eating. I sat down to wait for the constable and 
one of the gentlemen asked me if I would like to have a 
cup of coffee, I nodded my head and when the waiter 
brought in some coffee and nice little cookies, I began to 
think the world wasn't quite so bad as I thought it was, 
especially when my Aunt slammed the door in my face ; 
that there were still some good people in this world and 
one 's relatives could not always be depended on. 

By the time I was through drinking my coffee, the 
constable arrived and after shaking hands and giving me 
a few encouraging words, my good friend, the policeman 
left and the constable and I started for the City of Assen. 
It was a beautiful day, but the roads in those days were 
very hard to travel, being chiefly deep, sandy soil. 

After we had walked for about an hour, my under- 
pinnings began to feel somewhat tired and I took off my 
wooden shoes and stockings. My guard, who was much 
taller than I, kept a steady gait and it made me hustle 
to keep up with him. By the time we had gone about 
three-fourths of the distance, I began to get very tired 
and hungry and I asked the constable are we not going 
to stop and get something to eat, so we stopped at the 
first inn. After staying at the inn for about a half hour, 
we started out again on a brisk walk and reached the 
prison gates of the city of Assen between five and six 
o'clock in the afternoon. 

We went into the courtyard and while I stood there 
I noticed two prisoners walking up and down in their 

20 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

cells, which were made secure with iron bars. The whole 
atmosphere and surroundings of the place gave me an 
impression of prison life that I will never forget. One 
of the keepers put me in a cell with two young men, who 
had been locked up for drunkenness. The keeper let me 
out the next morning after breakfast and took me down 
the street to where another constable was waiting for me. 
As he walked toward me, he took a pair of handcuffs out 
of his pocket to slap on my hands. At that moment the 
warden said, " You are not going to put handcuffs on that 
boy, are you? He is not a criminal and I know he won't 
run away from you, even if he should attempt it, you 
ought to be able to take care of him." The constable 
looked at the keeper and said, "Well I guess I won't put 
them on him ;"sowe started off again. The weather was 
fine, the road run close to the canal, until it reached the 
Asylum, when it curved off in another direction. 

My keeper turned out better than I had expected, he 
talked to me as we walked along and when we arrived at 
the Institution, he shook hands with me before he deliver- 
ed me to the authorities. I was taken to the office and 
had to answer many questions, why I had deserted and 
etc., before the court that was made up of two directors, 
the school-master and some others. The sentence I got 
was eight days in the lock-up, which they all considered 
very light, except the school-master and the superintend- 
ent, who had spoken in my behalf. 

On one side of the prison was a sloping platform 
about eighteen inches from the floor and with the excep- 
tion of this there was absolutely nothing to which the 
lonely prisoner might turn his attention, nothing except 
the bare walls. While living in this place for eight days 
and nights, with nothing to do except to eat the food that 
was brought to me, I had ample time to reflect upon my 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

foolish conduct and to think of my dear departed friends 
and I made a vow to never again disgrace their name I 
bore and never forget the good advice of my good friend, 
the policeman. 

By and by the time came when my brother and several 
others were notified that their time was up at the institu- 
tion. The reader must well understand that every or- 
phan that left the Asylum was allowed three weeks board 
and if by that time he could not find employment, he could 
go back to the institution, however this rarely occured. 
It was a beautiful Spring morning, when I went as far as 
the gate with my brother, where we spoke a few parting 
words, shook hands and parted and once more I felt sad 
and lonely. However, sadness, as well as misery likes 
company and as many of the orphans were related, their 
sympathetic feelings for one another helped to brace 
them up and in a measure made them forget their loved 
ones, knowing that they could not always have them 
with them. 

One of the young men who went away left a position 
that had to be filled immediately and one that no one 
cared very much for, as it required a person that could 
read and pray well. It fell to me to take the place, rec- 
ommended by the school professor. This position put 
me at the head of the table, gave me more privileges and 
they began to have a better feeling towards me. Thus 
having more opportunities to meet and talk with the girl 
I begun to love so well, the days and months passed by 
leaving me more contented than I had been. 

Sad and unfortunate as the history of my brother and 
I had been, this sudden change in my childhood was a 
great help to my natural, happy-go-lucky disposition. It 
directed my thoughts from the sorrowful past to the 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

everyday doings of our simple life until the time came 
for me to look out for myself and work out my own sal- 
vation. The good opinion of Father Nyman, the super- 
intendent, and his wife and the few extra privileges I 
had, gave me many chances to speak to my own Maria 
and made the time pass quicker than I really wished. 

At last the time came for my departure and once more 
there was a change within my humble self, I felt very 
sad when I met her in the park, poor innocent orphan 
girl, whom I really loved so well, to whom I would have 
given most anything of this world's goods to help her 
along, when she came to leave the institution to go out 
and fight the battle of life in a hypocritical, deceiving 
&nd cold world, but I had nothing to give her and she 
knew it, dear soul. It would be useless to try to describe 
the feelings within me, as we embraced each other, the 
warm tears running down our cheeks. So we parted, 
hoping that we should meet again. With a new suit of 
clothing and a pair of leather shoes instead of wooden 
and about three dollars in my pocket, I started out. 



32 



CHAPTER III. 

MY FIRST SEA VOYAGE 

I went down to the little canal boat, which was drawn 
by horses; when the wind was fair, the sail was set to 
help the horses along. There were no seats on deck, but 
below there were seats on both sides, room enough for 
thirty or forty people. The boat was well lighted, having 
little windows on both sides, also well painted and as 
she was built more on the plan of a pleasure boat, than 
an old-fashioned Dutch galliote, she would show up 
pretty well, even in our days. She had a sharp-nosed 
bow and her stern had well-shaped lines. As there were 
only three of the girls and two boys from the school be- 
sides a few outside passengers, there was plenty of room 
to move about the boat and as everyone had something 
pleasant to say, the day went quickly. 

Toward evening we arrived at the little city of Mep- 
ple, situated near the Zuyder Zee. At this place, we 
changed boats and in the course of an hour started to 
go across the Zee, getting to Amsterdam early in the 
morning. As the three girls had their passage paid to 
some other town, the other young man and I left them 
and went to one of the Government offices, where we 
presented our cards to the officials in charge. He gave 
us a good looking over and after a few questions asked 
and answered, he told his servant to take us to a place 
where we could find lodging and look around for work. 

We found lodging with a middle-aged lady, whose 
husband had died two years before; she had two chil- 
dren, a boy, who was her own son and not quite old 

as 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

enough to go to school, the other a little orphan girl, 
who was too young to send to the asylum, the place 
where Pete and I had lived so many years. 

This little girl was like many other poor, unfortunate 
innocent mites of humanity who had to be taken care of 
by the Government, who were slighted by the different 
religious denominations if their parents were not mem- 
bers of any particular church or if their parents lived 
an army life. There were also many foundlings in those 
days and unless some gentle sister of charity took them 
in or some rich lady offered to adopt the poor orphan 
as her own for a companion, the Government was the 
only angel left to take care of the little sinner who was 
generally dropped very unceremoniously on the curb, or 
in a corner of some church or police station. This was all 
brought about by the uncontrollable forces of nature as- 
sisted by favorable circumstances. The worst of it all 
was that the institutions in which these foundlings were 
raised did not bear a very good reputation on their ac- 
count, which was not very pleasant for the orphans who 
came from respectable parents — people of which any na- 
tion might be proud. 

After staying in Amsterdam less than a week my 
friend joined the army and I went to work for a gardener 
who lived on the outskirts of the city. I congratulated 
myself on my good luck, for I liked the looks of the place 
and family and thought I would like to be a gardener. 
As I was still in the care of the kind man who had first 
taken my friend and me in charge and provided board 
and lodging for us, it was my duty to inform him of my 
intentions. When I had closed my bargain with the 
gardener, he gave me two florins as hand money and sent 
his son along with me to Mr. Beudiker 's. I left my em- 
ployer's son in another room while I went in to talk to 

94 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

Mr. B., who asked me how long I had hired myself out 
to the gardener and I answered, "For an indefinite 
length of time." He hummed, "For an indefinite time, 
that means that this man can let you go and do without 
your services any time he sees fit. There may be work 
enough for you this Summer, but will he have work for 
you this winter! If not, and the same thing has hap- 
pened to many young men like you, you will have to 
look for other work, which you may or may not get. If 
you do not, you will not have any claim on the institu- 
tion from which you came and would have to go out on 
the streets for you would not have any money for board 
and lodging. Under such conditions, you would have to 
beg and as paupers are not tolerated in Holland, you 
would be sent off to the poorhouse. ' ' Then he paused. 

I was all attention to what he said and I am forced 
to admit that I lowered my head when this somewhat 
stern-looking man pronounced his sentence on the pau- 
pers of the country. I began to feel as little in compar- 
ison to Mr. B. as a mosquito to a rain barrel and began 
to look upon him as some sort of a little god who knew 
it all, and I acquiesced in whatever he said or proposed. 

He went on to say, "Your guardian asked me to look 
after you and advise you about taking up a trade. You 
know you will soon be of age and I believe the best thing 
for you to do is to go on board a ship and become a sailor. 
Now don 't you think that would be better than becoming 
a gardener V 9 Once more he paused and gave me a sharp 
look and I said "Yes, but the gardener has given me two 
florins as hand money to bind the transaction. ' ' " Never 
•mind," he said, "you can keep that and I mil make it all 
right, I will try to get you on a small coaster and provide 
you with a sailor's outfit, so that you can start out in 
good shape/ 9 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

I left this kind man and went to the gardener; how- 
ever I felt that he was disappointed in me. In about a 
week's time I received a notice to come to the office where 
I got a card directing me to go to a dry-goods store and 
get a sailor's outfit and by that time, I was beginning to 
feel as though I needed some dry-goods on my poor back. 
A few days afterwards I got a notice to get ready, as 
someone would take me to the vessel. As soon as I had 
deposited my dry-goods on the deck, I shook hands with 
the drayman. 

At last I was put on my own footing to buck against 
a hard, cold world in which I was a stranger and had no 
one to direct me. When I started out I never thought 
nor dreamed that my lot would be one of many hard- 
ships, privations and sufferings coupled with many nar- 
row escapes and notwithstanding, all — I would still stay 
on top of this beautiful earth of ours. However dear 
reader, are there not thousands in this world that have 
gone through the same things or even worse and still 
kept their heads above water and lived to grow old and 
gray? 

As soon as I had changed my clothing the skipper set 
me to work, while the mate got everything in readiness 
for the trip. We had a fair wind and went along without 
any delays and by night reached the little city of Gouda ; 
we stayed there until early morning and then set sail for 
Rotterdam. Arriving at Rotterdam, we made fast at one 
of the piers alongside of a brigantine; she was a nice 
looking brig and much larger than ours and as I much 
preferred her to the one I was in, I made up my mind 
jthat if I had an opportunity towards evening I would see 
the captain of the larger vessel and ask him if he needed 
a young fellow. I didn't wait long until the captain came 
along; he listened to me for a few minutes and then ask- 

M 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

ed me if I had been to a shipping office and signed the 
articles, before T came on board. I said "No" and told 
him who I was shipping with. "I will see the skipper, 
he said, I am well acquainted with him and the mate, hav- 
ing come from the same town. If they are willing, you 
can come to the shipping office to-morrow and ship as 
my cook." Early the next morning, I went on board the 
Maria, an able-bodied seaman helping me with my chest 
and sailor bag. At the appointed time, I was at the 
shipping office and signed my name to the articles. I 
was to stay on board until the end of the voyage and was 
to have five florins a month. When I went back to the 
ship, the mate took me in charge, showing me all the 
kitchen utensils, what I had to do and how to do it; then 
lie walked with me from fore to aft, telling me the names 
of all the ropes and spars. 

Next morning, towards noon, when the able seaman 
was getting dinner, we started on our little voyage with 
a load of sand ballast and by night were well on our way 
on the ocean. As there was not much wind, all went well 
with me until we got into the North Sea, then the clouds 
began to thicken and the blue waters of the deep put on 
their white caps and I began to experience a feeling that 
was a stranger to me until I got so sick at my stomach 
that I was forced to vomit, which made me sicker than a 
poisoned dog and made me wish I had never gone to sea- 
Early next morning as I was lying under one of the long 
boats, the mate came to me and handed me a cup of salt 
water and in a very harsh manner told me to get up and 
drink it — Neptune's own liquor. I was to get that in my 
stomach as soon as I could and then climb aloft. The 
mate stood and watched me drink the salt water, which 
didn't taste very good, but I could do nothing else for the 
condition I was in, made me as helpless as a babe. 

37 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

Going to the weather side of the fore-rigging, I man- 
aged to climb as high as the cross-trees and there I stuck 
for several minutes, as tight as a fly on a molasses bar- 
rel. When I got on deck again the mate took me around 
and repeated the names of ropes, sails, and etc., and told 
me not to be very slow learning them, for he didn 't care 
to spend his time fooling with me. I looked at him and 
said I wanted to learn all I could, but couldn't learn it all 
in one day. I had hardly said the last word, when he 
snatched a small coil of rope hanging on a wooden pin 
and got one end ready to hit me. Just as he was about 
to strike me on the shoulder, I guarded the blow and 
caught the end of the rope; this made him furious. As 
for me — poor tiling — I forgot that I was nghtingt with 
my superior, the mate of the brigantine, which was man- 
ned by a captain, a mate, two orderlies, a seaman and a 
young slave. The mate was an old sailor and I was just 
starting, I was down on my back and he was on top of me. 
While I was down and that rascal was trying to hammer 
me into submission, there was a strong breeze blowing 
and every sail was set; there was more or less water 
splashing over the rails and the midships were all awash, 
which was very fortunate for me, for while I was lying 
there, keeping my feet going, a little sea came up over the 
rails, which half drowned us for a few seconds. At the 
same time the sole of one of my boots must have coane in 
contact with his nose, for he let go of me instantly and as 
I was trying to pick myself up, the captain came along, 
which was again very fortunate for me for it saved me 
from getting the worst of it, as the mate wanted to renew 
the fight. 

After this I went to the galley and one of the seamen 
told me what to do and if I needed any help he was to as- 
sist me. I got along very nicely and congratulated my- 

3S 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

self on getting off as easily as I did, feeling much better 
after the scrap. Before we got into the harbor of East 
Harlepool the next morning, I began to feel very hungry 
and soon made up for what I had lost. 

East Harlepool, like many other places in England 
was a very busy place for colliers and old vessels trading 
in nothing but coal. I was kept very busy, attending to 
my pots and kettles and keeping out of scraps, to say 
nothing about being ready at the word go to hand Jack or 
Tom or whoever happened to be aloft, rope, yarns, mar- 
linespikes or anything else they had forgotten. My turn 
came to leave the vessel and take a trip uptown, but I 
cannot tell the reader anything interesting about it. As 
our vessel had to wait her turn to load up, it was three 
days before we were loaded and ready to leave the docks. 
Our destination was Hamburg, Germany. 

Before we left East Harlepool, the mate sent me up 
to grease the royal mast, which wasn't really necessary, 
but he had it in for me and undoubtedly tried to do all he 
could to torment me. As I wasn't sea-sick then and 
wasn't afraid to climb when. the ship was lying still, T did 
not mind the task very much and got along very well. I 
learned to cook, which was simple enough, for there was 
nothing on board but hard-tack and salt beef and pork, 
which we ate turn about with some liquid for supper and 
breakfast to wash down the first mentioned article. It 
didn't require much of a chef to prepare the one course 
dinner with soup and for the morning and evening repast, 
except on Sunday when I had to dish up for dinner, bag 
pudding or duff. The mixture had to be prepared the 
night before and left to raise over night. In the morning, 
the first time I made it, when I was getting it ready for 
the kettle, nearly every sailor on the boat peeped into the 
galley and told me what to do, how to cook it and how 

39 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

long to cook, etc. A short time before dinner, I 
divided the pndding and served it, giving the biggest por- 
tion to the crew, then I sat down and took a mouthful of 
what I had cut off for myself. It seemed to me that the 
more I chewed and tried to swallow it, the harder it stuck 
to my teeth ; it lacked about one degree of being a perfect 
foe of mastication; instead of being tender it was like 
rubber. I then began to fear there would be some loud 
swearing on the part of the crew and a little H — for me. 
Soon as the crew came on deck I could hear poor Jack, 
the able seaman, let fly some of his favorite expressions 
which he used when things went contrary to his liking. 

However, he hinted to the mate that he was more at 
fault than the boy cook, for it was a custom on small 
vessels, when there was no steward, or experienced cook, 
for the mate to take charge of the provisions, managing 
the galley and teaching the young fellow before every- 
thing could be expected to run smoothly. An experien- 
ced cook was well paid, while the young fellow received 
little or nothing for his services. Having satisfied him- 
self by telling his superior officer what he thought of him 
poor Jack sauntered off to the forecastle, leaving a few 
of his flavored expressions in his wake. 

With the exception of a little nausea, I made the rest 
of the trip very well. With a fair wind and remarkably 
fine weather, it was only a few days until we sailed up 
the river Elbe to Hamburg. It was now late spring and 
Nature was at the height of glory. Sailing up the river, 
we passed villages and farm cottages on both sides and 
it made such a charming scene I forgot for the time be- 
ing my unfortunate childhood and that I had lost every- 
one who was dear to me, except THE GIKL. The beau- 
tiful scenery put new life into me and made me feel con- 
tented. 

40 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

As we could not make Hamburg by nightfall, on ac- 
count of the low tide, we dropped anchor and reached our 
destination early next morning. Next day when every- 
thing was made secure, all went on shore, except myself, 
as the mate had given me orders to keep a sharp watch. 
I knew that none of the crew would ever make another 
trip on the Venus, and I wouldn't under any circumstan- 
ces for I hated the mate worse than the Devil hates the 
Angles. Toward midnight the mate went on board and 
I went to my bunk. Next day, late in the forenoon, the 
captain came, went on board and as he passed me going to 
his cabin, I saluted and asked him why I was compelled 
to stay on board when the rest of the crew could go on 
shore. He thought a minute and then said, "Why do 
you want to leave, when you are just beginning to get 
along nicely! Why don't you stay with me and instead 
of being a cook, learn to be a good sailor?" I told him 
that I could not get along with the mate and it was best 
for me to leave. 

He went to his cabin and I went on shore. The next 
day I got my discharge and in less than a week I shipped 
on a large brigantine. I went on board a day before the 
crew, which was made up of two able seamen and two 
orderlies, and the mate, who was the only one on board, 
assisted me to carry my luggage to the forecastle and 
showed me my bunk. I soon made up my mind that I 
<vas very fortunate to ship with such a good old soul as 
the mate proved to be the whole voyage through. He 
helped me with everything and told me if I would be 
willing to learn he would make an orderly seaman of me 
and teach me how to cook. 



CHAPTER IV. 

. TO THE LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN 

Early next day, the crew went on board and after 
breakfast we sailed down the river for eight or ten miles 
and dropped anchor opposite the beautiful village of 
Blanknase, which was situated on the brow of a hill cov- 
ered with evergreens. As the houses were nearly all 
painted white, they made a striking contract with the 
river Elbe, and one who had never seen anything but 
that made by Nature would be excused for saying that 
Blanknase was the most beautiful place on earth. 

The people of Blanknase were sea-faring and as the 
captain and mate lived in the charming little village, 
also the able seaman, the three went on shore, taking me 
along to help carry a few things on board. The next 
morning, a lighter went up to the side of our vessel with 
a load of sand ballast and as soon as we were loaded, 
we set sail for Charleston, a little coaling station, sit- 
uated on the English side of the Firth of Tee, which sep- 
arates Scotland from England. 

But as it is not within the province of this little book 
to give a description of all the places I landed, I will 
confine myself to such places and happenings as proved 
to be the most interesting. Arriving at the coaling sta- 
tion, it took us only a few days to dispose of our ballast 
and take on a load of coal ; then we set out for the North. 

With a brisk wind and a clear sky and every sail set 
our little ship made remarkable time for several days, 
then the wind changed and we did not have so much 
breeze. We sailed along with very little pooling on the 

42 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

ropes (a sailor's phrase for trimming the sails.) Finally 
one of the boys went up aloft to see if land was in sight; 
sure enough after he had gotten up to the topmast rig- 
ging and looked toward the horizon on the starboard side, 
he sung out "Land." "0, where abouts, Jim?" shouted 
the mate. "On the starboard side." "Alright," shout- 
ed the mate. We took down some of the smaller sails and 
oailed along slowly to within a few miles of the mouth of 
a beautiful stream which runs as far inland as Ham- 
merfest. 

I took my turn at the helm, when the weather was 
fine and the sea comparatively smooth, and I soon learn- 
ed to stear the ship. 

On this particular day or rather night, at half past 
eleven, the sun was setting and by the time it was dipping 
bolow the horizon, a boat could be seen in the distance 
coming toward us. No one, except the captain, paid any 
attention to the pilot boat, for our thoughts were all cen- 
tered on the panorama of the Midnight Sun, something 
which none of us, except the captain had ever seen be- 
fore. It could be seen in all its splendor, across the end- 
less space of the mighty ocean, shining on the high moun- 
tainous, rockbound coast of the Northland. However 
it only lasted a few minutes, but the scene was so grand, 
beautiful and impressive as to never be forgotten. Then 
presto — the mighty ball went down below the horizon and 
the dark mantle of Nature covered the waters. The sun 
soon came up again and it was day; by this time the pilot, 
who we had seen in the distance, was on board our vessel 
with a boy of about twelve years, their row boat trailing 
at the stern of our ship. 

The sails were trimmed and we sailed up the narrow 
river, which was lined on both sides with steep rocky 
banks that towered high above the foremasts of the ship 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

and obscured nearly every bit of sunlight and made the 
surroundings look very dismal. One imagined that while 
standing on deck the ship, one could very easily throw 
a stone to either bank, but was very much deceived when 
the distance to the banks was measured. 

About the middle of the day, we dropped anchor, a 
few rods from the pier, letting about sixty fathoms of 
chain down, allowing for slack. Now and then we could 
get a glimpse of the bottom of the river. On our star- 
board going up the river, the banks on one side began 
to decrease and for about a quarter of a mile from the 
pier the shore was only a few feet above the water. No 
houses were to be seen, but rows of posts were driven 
into the ground running parallel with the river on which 
boards were placed on which thousands of stockfish with 
their heads cut off and cleaned, were hanging out to dry. 
When these stockfish were dried as hard as a soft wooden 
stick they were shipped to the foreign countries, mostly 
to Latin nations. 

Some distance from the pier was a row of low frame 
buildings standing near the base of the rocky heights, 
through which leads the road to Hammerfest, the most 
northerly inhabited place' on the globe at that time (71 
degrees north latitude.) The irve hundred inhabitants 
in the place were made up of Laplanders, Norwegians, 
Finlanders and a few Swedes. They were all fishermen 
and a healthy, contented-looking lot they were. One of 
their characteristics was honesty, which may not have 
been such a good virtue had they been born and reared 
in luxury and high life, where money is god and poverty 
is the devil; where you can have a beautiful grave in 
which to rest and a good recommendation as a send off 
providing you have the " chink " to pay for it. If not the 

44- 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

weary bones of the poor sinner have to take a back seat, 
the pauper's grave, which is all a part of civilization. 

As soon as our vessel was unloaded and cleaned, we 
started to load the stockfish. It was slow work, but 
could be done no other way, as it took quite a large 
amount of fish to weigh down the ship. The loading was 
done with two shifts, four men in each shift, two men 
loading in the stern and two in the bow. The fish were 
laid lengthwise in the vessel and packed as tight as they 
could be packed up to the beams. Then the men used 
wooden mauls and long wooden spikes, the tops of which 
were from four to three inches thick, running down to a 
point. In the tops of these spikes were rings of rope 
and the spikes were driven down between the fish until 
they were packed as solid as a wall, tier upon tier, until 
they reached the hatchway and the job was completed. 

Hammerfest being one of the few places where cook- 
ing on board ship in the harbor is not allowed, I was com- 
pelled to go on shore to do the cooking and as I had noth- 
ing to do but cook the simple meals, wash dishes and 
sleep all night, I found plenty of time to practice sculling, 
the boat. There were two other vessels in the harbor, 
besides ours ? and I would have had quite a pleasant time 
with the other cooks, had I been able to speak their lan- 
guage, but I was Dutch and the others Norwegians or 
Swedes. When I wanted to talk to them, I had to use 
my hands and every bit of my movable machinery, which 
was in very good working order. Sometimes they would 
understand what I meant, but oftener they would not. 
Perhaps when I was doing my very best they would stand 
and laugh at me. I have often thought since, how much 
better it would be to have a universal language, so that 
everybody could understand each other. The people of 
the different countries could become better acquainted, it 

45 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

would help civilization and lessen crime, the lonely trav- 
eler would feel safer and not he compelled to go through 
an endless amount of gestures and motions, which makes 
him seem as if he were crazy, no matter how intelligent 
he might be. 

While we were in the harbor I was sent to the only 
store in town for a few articles for the ship. As I re- 
member, there was but one street in the town, the rest 
of the houses, none of which were anyways pretentious, 
were scattered here and there. The only building of any 
size was the Lutheran church. 

The principal food of the inhabitants was fish, and 
as they breathed the pure air all day and did not lie 
awake at night fearing someone would rob them of their 
gold, (for they didn't have any) and having a clear con- 
science, it was no wonder they looked strong and healthy, 
happy and contented with themselves and their surround- 
ings. 

With a good wind, we left the harbor, the same pilot 
and his little son piloting us out to the ocean. When we 
were out in deep water, the pilot turned back and we 
sailed for our destination with every piece of canvas set. 
We had fine weather and favorable winds and nothing un- 
usul happened until we were in the vicinity of Cape Vin- 
cent off the coast of Spain. It was about noon and we 
were sailing along very calmly, when a white squall came 
upon us with such a force and so sudden that it almost 
turned the vessel over on her beam. The man at the helm 
did not have time to let her bow come up to the wind in 
order to back the sails. The mate kept shouting as loud 
as he could, "Let go the ropes, let go," and at the same 
time with his hands raised and his eyes directed towards 
heaven, called, "Mine Gott, mine Gott, mine frau und 
kinder" ("My God, my God, my wife and children). 

46 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

Everyone on dock stood dumbfounded, but could do 
nothing as every sail stood out like a balloon pushing our 
noble little ship along at an awful rate with her lee-rail 
almost touching the water and threatening every minute 
to send us to the bottom. It was a very narrow escape 
for us and we were well scared and although it lasted 
only a few minutes, the sails were damaged considerably. 
These, however, were all mended before we dropped 
anchor in the bay of that famous Fort of Gibraltar, the 
key to the Mediterranean and one of Great Britain's 
world-wide possessions, which at one time belonged to 
Spain. 

After staying in the harbor two days, we received or- 
ders to go to Mirano, Austria, which is only a few miles 
from Trieste- A riwing, where we dropped anchor in a 
beautiful bay. The coast loomed up quite high and steep, 
as there is no harbor. Everything was calm as the still- 
ness of the night and we decided that few merchant ves- 
sels ever entered the bay to await for orders to unload 
their cargoes at other points. The only thing that inter- 
ested us was an old castle that stood close to the edge 
of the steep, rocky coast. Since that time I have often 
thought of that old castle and many years afterward I 
received a picture of it, and underneath the picture was 
written Mirano Castle. 

In two days' time, we had further orders to go to 
Venice. We had clear weather and the wind was favor- 
able. We dropped anchor toward evening, waiting for 
the health officers to inspect our crew. As I think of it 
now, it was about as laughable a health inspecting per- 
formance as I ever witnessed. The next morning a small 
boat drew up alongside our vessel with two officers and 
two boatmen. The whole crew stood bare-headed, on one 
side of the ship, leaning over the railing and at the com- 

47 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

mand we all stuck out our tongues. Then one of the 
health officers stood up in the rowboat, straining his 
eyes to have a good look at everyone's tongue as they 
leaned over the railing. After this performance was 
over, the other officer picked up a pair of tongs about two 
and a half feet long and took the clearing papers from 
the captain, depositing them in a box without touching 
them with his hands. This done, we were ready to pro- 
ceed into the harbor, but as the night was coming on we 
lay at anchor until early the next morning, Avhen the pilot 
came on board we hove up anchor and steared for the 
principal canal of Venice, where we made fast to a pier. 

The channel was quite narrow, for piles were driven 
into the bottom of the canal on both sides, about six 
rods apart. Some of them were decorated with religious 
statues, such as Jesus, The Holy Mary and others. 

The next day some of the shoremen began to unload 
the fish, which took several days. On such occasions, a 
number of laborers could be seen standing about the 
pier, waiting for the job of cleaning out the waste that 
accumulated on the bottom of the vessel. So when the 
ship was about unloaded, the laborers began to crowd 
onto the pier, talking louder and louder, until it ended 
in a fight, some of them using their broom handles as 
weapons, with which to come down on somebody's head, 
and others using knives. By the time the officers came 
upon the scene, a majority of the laborers had their 
faces covered with blood. I saw the whole disgusting 
performance, the like of which I had never seen before, 
and all for the sake of some waste fish. Whoever got 
the fish, had to sweep the vessel. 

It is useless to say that the scene sent a thrill of 
horror through my young heart and made me sick at my 

48 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

stomach, for as I looked at thorn they looked more like 
human devils than poor sinners and that is no joke. By 
dinner time my appetite was gone and I couldn't eat. 
The mate wanted to know what was up and why I didn't 
indulge, and I told him that the bloody affair hr d npset 
me. "0, that's nothing, young man, such things go on 
every day in the week all the world over, more or less. 
If you are to become a sailor, it shouldn't take long to be- 
come used to such performances. Some people quar- 
rel and fight in a vulgar way and others settle their dis- 
putes in a more polite way. In the last mentioned way 
one may spill blood and kill by the car-loads and it is no 
crime and never was since the governments of divine 
rights were established and the common herd was or- 
dered to march to the front and fght the enemy, the 
loser always blaming the Almighty. In one's prayers 
one says, 'Thy will be done,' which is always encourag- 
ing for some people. The former way of shedding blood 
and murdering is looked upon as devilish and very dis- 
couraging, which it is, for the devil is to blame and the 
Almighty has nothing to do with it, the wise men say." 
All this and more the good mate tried to tell me, but it 
had little effect upon me, for I was taught to believe in 
certain things and my young brains were then not ready 
to assent or dissent to anything he preached to me. It 
remained shelved in one of the little corners of my brain 
as a puzzle, until I became older and up to this day I 
have not found out whether or not it is God's will. If it 
is His will that we should kill each other, I will leave 
it to the reader to think it out for himself. 

After the vessel was swept and scrubbed, we set sail 
for Palermo, situated on the Island of Sicily. However, 
before we left Venice I had no chance to go on shore to 
see anything of the old city, so two young sailors and my- 
self got a cheap gondola which was managed by a man 

49 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

with one oar. We wondered how long it was going to 
take him to get us across, but as we stepped into the 
gondola, we learned that there was more than one way 
to skin a cat, as the old saying goes, for he took us across 
in less time than we expected. As we walked along the 
street facing the Canal, we saw several gondolas that had 
coverings on them which looked something like buggy 
tops, enough space was left at each end for the two gon- 
doliers to work the boat. One would work his oar on the 
starboard end of the bow and the other paddled on the 
port side of the stern. Some of the gon- 
dolas had large ornaments on them, which made them 
look very pretty, as they skimmed over the waters of 
beautiful Venice. The scene in the still hours of the 
night, with the silvery moon and the countless glittering 
stars which made a striking contrast with the bright 
lights along the waterways of the city, was so enchanting 
as to change one's thoughts from the ordinary to the 
romantic and to think of the city when it was ruled by 
the doges which history tells us about. 

Early in the morning, after this trip, we started for 
the old city of Palermo to get a cargo of box lumber to 
take to Messina, situated on the Strait of Messina, which 
divides Sicily from Italy. We stayed at Messina about 
three weeks, taking on a cargo of lemons, raisins and 
nuts. An Italian merchant was kind enough to give the 
crew a present of a bushel of oranges, the best I ever 
tasted ; the captain received two boxes and the mate one. 
We were also given enough raisins to last the rest of the 
voyage. The reader can imagine how the crew appre- 
ciated these little presents given by the merchant on a 
beautiful island. 

It was a pleasant day when we left the pier and set 
sail for our homeward-bound journey. The wind was 

50 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

fair, the sea comparatively smooth and nothing dis- 
turbed the elements, as we passed through the straits 
out into the Atlantic. We reached Hamburg with our 
cargo of choice fruits in less time than we had expected. 

As my wages were so small in comparison with my 
work as a young slave, I made up my m'nd to ship on 
another vessel as soon as I had an opportunity. Remem- 
ber dear reader, that my wages as waiter on deck did not 
amount to more than ten marks a month, and I wanted to 
do a few things besides pay for my board and lodging 
and promenade the streets of lively Hamburg seeing the 
sights. Do you think it was very unreasonable to ask 
five more marks a month, when I had had some training 
and could help shorten the sails, when needed! I should 
say not. It may be different now, but in those days of 
long ago when a young fellow wanted to become a sailor 
he usually began his career as cook on a small vessel 
which was manned by the captain, the mate, two order- 
lies and one able seaman and of course the little cook 
who had to get their meals and obey them. If Jack went 
up aloft and wanted a rope yarn, he halloed for the 
cook, of if Dick or Harvey forgot something as they were 
working in the fore or after rigging, the cook had to 
jump and take it to them. If the weather was good and 
the wind fair, the poor little cook had to take the helm, 
after he was through washing his cooking utensils until 
time to make tea, instead of taking a rest. Whenever 
there were signs of a storm, he had to go up aloft and 
help shorten the sails. However, it was different with 
the experienced cooks on the larger vessels for they knew 
their business and would brook no interference from any- 
one, if he were all he represented himself to be. He 
was his own boss. But the poor little cook was the foot- 
ball for those who prided themselves in domineering 

r.i 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

over the poor sinner of a landlubber, making life miser- 
able for him, forgetting that they were landlubbers once 
themselves. Still that is human nature. 

Then there were few steamboats; steam and sails 
were both used, the sails being taken down in calm 
weather. Now when a young man wants to follow the sea 
all he has to learn is to wash the deck, paint, stear and 
sit in the crows-nest to lookout. Now a trip can be made 
to the East Indies and return in three months. Then 
it took a year more or less. There are sailing vessels 
at the present day, but they are not near so massive 
as they were then. It would take a whole pamphlet to 
describe the hardships a young man had to go through in 
those days to become a sailor, especially if he started as 
cook on one of the smaller crafts. 

After making a short trip to England and back, I 
made one more trip as a cook on a voyage to Portobella, 
situated on the coast of Venezuela. With the best of 
weather and the wind in our favor, we reached our desti- 
nation in good time and in less than two weeks after 
landing, we were homeward bound with a cargo of green 
coffee for Bremen Haven. 

A VISIT TO ORPHAN FRIENDS 

I was now of age and I went to Amsterdam to re- 
ceive my share of what my father had left to my brother 
and I, which amounted to 350 florins. They told me there 
was a small sum left, but I or my brother could not get it 
unless my brother was there also. However, I had been 
separated from my brother for several years and did not 
know whether he was alive or not, so the little sum of 
money remained in the bank until many years afterward, 
we met very unexpectedly and in a very strange manner. 

62 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

One evening while talking of the past I mentioned 
this sum of money, but as it wouldn't have paid us to go 
to Amsterdam for it, we agreed to write to the Consul 
in New York. The Consul advised us to write to the 
American Consul in the city of Amsterdam and sooner 
than we expected, we received a letter stating that there 
was some money for us, but we could not get it unless we 
both went to Amsterdam; the Consul advised us to sell, 
which we did. Not long after that I found a draft at the 
postoffice for me for $40 and a Dutch newspaper. It 
goes without saying that we were very much elated, not 
so much on account of the money itself, but on account 
of the satisfaction of getting it. Nevertheless it brought 
back to us the scenes of our unfortunate childhood 
stronger than ever and my brother and I often talked of 
the things we had done together. 

The first thing I did after I got my money was to 
visit my orphan friends, particularly the poor girl of 
whom I thought more of than anyone else. I learned that 
she was in Amsterdam and after getting her address 
had no difficulty in finding her. It is useless to state how 
glad the boys and even the poor unfortunate girls were 
to see me, when I visited them. I had no idea of the 
treatment I would receive at the Institution, as I went 
to the office of one of the directors. The director gave 
me permission to visit them as long as I was there, 
whenever I wanted to and to stay over night with the 
boys. I took my meals with them and my visiting my 
unfortunate orphan brothers and sisters, sympathizing 
and encouraging them added to my list of pleasant mem- 
ories for future thought. On the day of my departure 
there were many handshakes and sad looks on the part 
of those who would soon have to go out into the world 
as others had done, without a friend, to buck uo against 
the selfishness of the human race in order to live. 

53 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

Arriving at Amsterdam I soon found by dear Marie, 
who was a servant in a Jewish family. I had already 
made up my mind, if any questions were asked, what to 
say in regard to my relation to her. As I was being lead, 
by one of the two young daughters of the family, to the 
mother, I picked up courage and when I was alone with 
the old lady, she asked me who I was and where I came 
from. When I told her I was a cousin of Marie's, she 
smiled and rang for one of the young ladies, who were 
in the next room, to pilot me to the kitchen where Marie 
was working. When the young lady had shown me the 
kitchen, she left so as not to disturb our conversation, 
showing her good manners. It was a happy meeting, to 
say the least, and when it came to a close I went back 
to the old lady and indulged in a cup of tea and some fine 
cookies. I enjoyed answering the many questions that 
the good old Jewish lady asked me, in regard to my ex- 
periences since I left the orphan asylum. When I was 
ready to go, she called in Marie and told me that I could 
visit her any day during my stay in Amsterdam. As 
pleasant as it was to see Marie every day, I felt sorry 
that she could not tell me where my brother was, although 
she said he had been in Amsterdam and inquired for me. 

As nearly as I can remember, I stayed in Amsterdam 
about three weeks and then sailed on the Cosmopolit 
which was chartered for Buenos Ayres with a load of 
general cargo. The last few moments before the dear 
girl left me were sad and full of hope and promises. 



54 



CHAPTER V. 

SEVERAL VOYAGES BRIEFLY .DESCRIBED 

The Cosmopolit was a large brigantine, manned by 
seven all told, the captain, mate, cook, one able seaman 
and three orderly seamen. From the time we left Am- 
sterdam up until we sailed into the Doldrums, nothing 
happened to disturb the peace among the crew and offi- 
cers, but to sail into a place where the wind may change a 
dozen times or more in 24 hours; with flurries and 
calms, with no progress-making headway, is enough to 
disturb the mind of a captain or mate and irritate them 
on matters for which there is no cause, more so than at 
any other time. And it seems that on such occasions 
someone has to suffer the penalty for anything that is 
going wrong. So one night as I stood at the helm, rest- 
ing my arms on the spokes of the wheel, now directing 
my eyes toward the sails, and anon raising my right hand 
to find out if there was enough air stirring to locate 
where it came from. But there was no air. Nature was 
in her calmest mood, not a ripple on the mighty deep, all 
sound to rest in sleep. And it was in one of such spells 
of serious thinking and not paying attention to anything, 
when the mate came up to me, took me by the arm, and 
with (not a very polite way shouted) are you asleep at 
the helm? I was not sleeping, was my answer. Then he 
was trying to drag me from the wheel, but as I was not 
coming very fast, he raised one of his hands ready to 
strike me. This was too much for me. I let go of the 
wheel, he tried to throw me, but I did not go down. We 
finally made our way to the edge of the poop deck, then 
through some lucky chance on my part, he came down 

5R 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

flat on his back, I on top of him. But soon he was on 
top, and so we worked ourselves way to amidships, 
when the captain came on the scene, taking along with 
him a few favorite expressions from seamen's vocabu- 
lary. With about a half dozen kicks in the ribs, they let 
me go. But Nature was still left in its calmest mood. 
Mean as this was, on account of the mate in the first 
place, for I was not asleep, and as for the captain, in 
the second place, it was his duty to inquire before kick- 
ing me. And thus for one whole week, the wind changed 
from one quarter of the compass to the other, until finally 
it changed from N. E. to S. E. and we soon got across the 
Equator. And without any more changes, our slow 
sailing craft reached Buenos Ayres in about seventy 
days. The city is situated several miles up the river, 
where it broadens out and turns, making it a very large 
inland bay for ships to anchor. We anchored about two 
miles from the pier, that jutted far out from the shore, 
and as the captain went almost every day on the shore, 
we had to row him to the pier in the morning and come 
to take him back in the evening. This was not very 
pleasant when the wind began to blow before we started 
to take him back, which oftimes happened while we 
were there. After unloading our cargo, we shifted about 
a mile nearer to shore, and lay there waiting, many days, 
to receive a cargo of hides. As every reader may not know 
the difference between one cargo and another — how they 
are loaded, it may be well to say something about it. 
Most of the hides that we had to load were raw hides, and 
in order to keep them fresh, it required a lot of salt and 
water, arid also to lay them down as flat and smooth as 
they can be laid without wrinkles. Thus when it came 
time to load the Cosmopolit, the first thing that we took 
on board were the hoofs and horns, spread out on the 
bottom of the ship from fore to aft. Then each hide is 

56 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

laid flat on the donage, covered with salt and strong brine, 
the latter strong enough to float a potato. We laid 
there about two months, when we started homeward 
bound with a cargo of 3,500 wet and a few tons of dry 
hides. Without any mishaps, we arrived in Antwerp, 
Belgium, late in the Fall. As soon as we laid along the 
dock, two or three women with brooms came along, and 
as soon as the hides were thrown on the pier, they were 
swept clean and taken to a large building. But all this 
was done away with some years ago. The hides are now 
tanned and prepared for leather before they come on 
board. 

As soon as we were paid off, I looked for another ship, 
and after a few days, I shipped in a Dutch schooner to 
make a trip to the Mediterranean. This trip proved to be 
one of the most disagreeable voyages for any sailor to 
make. Not on account of the weather, but on account of 
the miserable, drunked sot of a captain. There wasn't 
hardly a day from the time we started until we arrived 
at our destination — Macina, Italy — but what he was in- 
toxicated, which made things very unpleasant for the 
mate and crew, which consisted of One able and two or- 
derly seamen, of which I was one, and as I was on the 
captain's watch, it happened many a night that the boy 
cook and my poor self had to take turns at the helm 
and manage the vessel the best we knew how, until our 
good old mate with the two other sailors relieved us. It 
was very fortunate nothing happened with the exception 
of being a small fraction off our course, or some of the 
sails were not exactly taut to the wind. 

As soon as we got along side the pier, I told the mate 
that if there was any chance, I would ship on another 
vessel, and if the captain would not let me go, I would 
report him, and tell all that happened. A few days later 

67 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

while we were unloading, in the evening about eight or 
nine o'clock, the captain came staggering along, but he 
could not walk the plank that bridged from the stern to 
the pier about from six to eight feet, and as the watch on 
the deck saw the incompetence of our superior, stagger- 
ing right and left like a sick crow, he sang out, "All on 
deck quick.' ' Two of us rushed over and made the cap- 
tain sit down, while another met him as they shoved and 
pulled him along. This was his last drunken fandango 
while I was on board. 

On Sunday, as I was promenading the piers of 
Macina, sizing up the different crafts, I stopped at an 
English bark. As there were several on deck and I was 
looking at them some came on shore and stopped where I 
stood, and asked if I spoke English. I answered, "No 
speak Ingliss." They laughed at me while I tried to 
murder the English language as much as I could muster, 
thinking at the same time I was doing well. I was us- 
ing my arms and every gesture and movement that I 
could command in order to make them understand what 
I meant, when finally one of them that had been having 
fun out of our conversation, came to my relief, asking 
me in broken Dutch if I was a Hollander, telling me at 
the same time that he hailed from Norway, and had 
made a few voyages under the Dutch flag. 

Thus while we were talking, and I was telling him 
what I was looking for and what I intended to do, he 
tapped me on the back. Say, young fellow, we were 
just trying to find out who you were, and what you 
wanted because you seemed to be somewhat interested 
in our old tub. We are short handed, and if you 
want to come on board we will call the mate. As the 
latter came along, he questioned me as to my capacity 
on board ship, and I answered, "An orderly seaman." 

58 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

"Can you cook? 7 ' "Yes, sir, but I am not a profes- 
sional." Ho laughed and told my sailor friend that I 
could come on board as soon as T was free from the other. 

I then went back to my own quarters and without 
waiting, went and told the mate what I had done, and 
what I would do if the captain did not give me my dis- 
charge. "Go down to the captain and you can talk to 
him." It did not take long before he came to the con- 
clusion to let me go, and the next day paid me what little 
money was coming to me. That same day my Norway 
friend helped me shift my belongings over to the bark, 
for at that time I had a well-filled chest with good cloth- 
ing. 

It was but a few days after I came on board that 
the bark was loaded with a general cargo of produce, 
and started on her voyage to Quebec, Canada. I was 
very fortunate that I had a good mate to help me along. 
We arrived in Quebec in good season. 

It was on this trip that I began to realize the danger 
of an iceberg, of which we passed two, one in the latter 
part of the night, and one in the day. They were monster 
blocks of frozen water as regards their height, but not 
in comparison with the size of those that are met in the 
vicinity of Cape Horn, where they are driven in the 
early months of the year, and of which I shall give a 
description later on. 

As I had to do as much as any other orderly seaman, 
and at the same time look after the pots, kettles and other 
utensils, to say nothing about cooking, wfhich kept me 
busy, and in that respect I had a hard time of it, but I 
learned something, both as a young sailor among people 
speaking a different language, learning their habits and 
manners and at the same time took courage to ship as an 

6d 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

able seaman ten days after I landed. Quebec at that 
time was not much of a city, and the main cargo from 
the town was lumber. With the exception of the cook 
and the apprentice, all of the sailors left the bark. But a 
few days before we deserted, one of the sailors had ai 
quarrel with the apprentice, in which the latter got stab- 
bed by the former, he being a Liverpool Irishman. It was 
a close call for the young man, and lucky for the fellow 
that came within an inch of stabbing the apprentice to the 
heart. What became of the would-be murderer after 
he was arrested I do not know, but let me say this of 
the different vessels in which I have sailed: Under 
the English flag direct from the mother country, there 
was always a fight before the voyage was over, and 
the only reason I can give is that their pride was so set 
in them that without a good fight or two, life would be 
too monotonous before the trip was ended. 

The second day after I was lodged in the boarding 
house, all the sailors that were there got notice early 
in the afternoon to go up into the garret and climb upon 
the roof through the scuttle hole, to hide themselves 
until the police that were around searching for sailors 
that had deserted from the ships that lay in the harbor 
had searched the house. Dear reader, I do not for a 
moment imagine that those guardians of the law exerted 
themselves looking after deserting sailors; they came 
around in the back yard, went through the kitchen and 
came out through the front door and that was all there 
was to it. 

In a few days we all went to the shipping office, by 
order of the boarding master, who had everything fixed 
with the captain that wanted sailors, and about ready to 
go to sea loaded with a cargo of lumber for England. 
Before we got into the shipping office some of the sail- 

60 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

ors told me that I should answer when I was asked 
where I hailed from, "Heligoland," a little island in the 
North Sea near the mouth of the river Elbe, that be- 
longed to Great Britain but is now in possession of 
Germany. Things went pretty smooth so far as I could 
see it then, but the next day, early in the morning as we 
stepped on board, the lines that made the vessel fast 
to the pier were loosened, at the loud-voiced command 
of the second mate, "Let go the lines." 

The first thing that struck us was the boarding mas- 
ter, as sailors always call them. He was there. And 
we soon found out that we were shanghaied. At first 
he followed us close behind, then gradually sulked along 
slower and slower, until by the time we were all on board 
he w T as quite a ways behind. This, of course, was all 
made up before hand. That there were some hard sen- 
tences pronounced in language not very becoming to that 
roll, the reader may well imagine but the writer must 
not state it. The vessel was a fine model of a full rigged 
ship, only a few years old. She came to America from 
India with a cargo to Canada and took on a load of lum- 
ber for the home country, England. She was well 
manned, but there was no boatswain on board. The 
second mate was as good a seaman as I ever saw, w T hile 
I was roaming as a poor sailor across the deep to places 
in all continents. He knew his business and he under- 
stood how to handle a crew of sailors. He was good for 
second mate and boatswain in one. It is no flattery on 
my part to state that I was very fortunate that he picked 
me out to be in his watch, and that he seemed to like me, 
which I could soon make out why, for I was young, quick 
and willing. I never let anyone that was older than I 
go up aloft if I could do it. The treatment on board 
ship was better than the average. Our rations were 

11 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

plenty and good, with fresh milk from the cow we had 
on board. As the weather was very favorable, the crew 
kept very busy doing everything to make the ship look 
sleek before she should arrive at her dock, and be wel- 
comed again by their relatives and friends, after a long 
voyage. 

As it took oftimes several weeks to unload and re- 
load a ship before she was ready again, and a poor sailor 
that liked to make another trip with the same ship and 
knew by his discharge that the same captain would take 
him again, but could not wait for the want of money 
he required for his board and lodging, and as every one 
of the crew was paid off and there were others who 
looked after the ship while she lay in the harbor, there 
was no chance for any young man sailing under a flag of 
a foreign country, with no friends to go to, and he has 
to keep his eyes open not to get robbed by the land 
sharks that were always in the front of the human post 
that robbed or swindled the poor sailor of his hard 
earned money, and as I never cared where I landed, or 
where I could get a chance again, it never took me more 
than a w;eek or two before I was off again with hopes 
that some day I may meet my brother and poor Maria, 
my only two friends, whose thoughts, perhaps, when in 
their sad moods, were centered on me and longed to meet 
each other and stay together as near as it was possible, 
to know where we were and how we got along. 

VAN DIEMEN'S LAND 

One Monday morning about 9 o'clock I went to the 
shipping office to try to get a chance as able seaman on 
board a full rigged ship by the name of Percy, that was 
bound for Obertown, the capital of Van Diemens Land, 
an island about 150 miles to the south of Australia. In 

62 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

those days, and perhaps it is so now, not every John, 
Dick or Harry was accepted as an able seaman, unless 
he had a good discharge, but if the demand for sailors 
was great, they would not be quite so particular, unless 
he was put down on his last discharge as a trouble- 
maker and bully, which, however, very few could make 
out. 

If Mr. A. handed out his discharge to the captain, 
and the latter could find no better recommendation than 
the simple word "Good," such a discharge was handed 
back again. 

An English discharge was so puzzling that unless one 
could show on his paper "Very good," there was no 
chance to be accepted. The very best discharge any one 
could get out of an English shipping office was "Very, 
good, very good, very good." 

A man, however, may be a good sailor in regard to 
his capacity, however bad in his behavior, and thus may 
lose good chances as the office was almost crammed full. 
As everyone was so anxious to join the party, I had all 
I could do to work my way through the crowd to hand 
in my discharge, as I was standing behind two six- 
footers. I nodded to one to let me stand at his right 
hand, just in time to see the captain come out of the 
office. I handed in my discharge and when there wero 
more than enough handed in, we all walked in the office, 
where every one was called out separately and gave 
answer to a few questions. Those that were rejected got 
back their discharges. We had to go on board early the 
next morning. 

As I was walking with my sailor bag on my shoulder, 
to go on board, I stopped in a beer saloon to get some 
clay. While there I ordered a drink of ale, and got a 

63 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

handful of clay pipes for nothing, but what struck me 
most forcibly as I entered the place was to see three 
grown-up women drinking. One had a swollen eye as 
big and as blue as a plum ; the second swore like a troop- 
er, and the third started a song before I went out, but 
I had no time to stay and came on board in time. 

As I had no friends or relatives, and looking at the 
crowd of people waving their handkerchiefs and shout- 
ing goodbye, it made me somewhat lonesome as I was 
thinking of my poor brother, and the dear girl which I 
might not see agahi, as life is uncertain. As there were 
a few passengers to come yet, we went to anchor in the 
afternoon and waited there until the next morning. By 
that time they were all on board. 

The Percy was well manned and provisioned. The 
whole crew from the captain down numbered 36 all told. 
There were three mates, first, second and third, and 
boatswain. Our cabin and stearage passengers num- 
bered between forty and fifty all told, beside the cook, 
and there was a man to help the latter wash dishes and 
dress chickens and all such work belonging to the 
cuisine department, which kept Jimmy Docks pretty 
busy all day, but he could sleep all night, the same as the 
hostler who took care of a fine, well-bred breeding horse 
in his stable whose head was facing the fore-mast as 
he stood. The rear of the stall was all open, the front 
and sides partly open. This noble-looking brute was pre- 
vented from falling or hurting himself whenever the 
ship rolled by having a soft belt around his belly, fixed 
in a way by which they could lower him down or visa 
versa. We had also a butcher who had to look after 
about thirty sheep, and as near as I can remember about 
six or eight pigs, enough for young pork. They were, 
however, not for the sailors, but for the passengers to 

II 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

eat, and whenever there was one dressed, it was pulled 
up to the foretop and lowered down when wanted. But 
while the common sailors had no share of the fresh meat, 
we made it a point whenever the night was dark enough 
for one of the watch to jump up the rigging and cut off a 
slice, when the officer was on the cabin deck. The meat 
was cut fine, mixed with hard tack and water and put 
in a tin pan, covered up, and handed to the cook to put 
the hash in the oven. The cook not supposing to know 
and the butcher did not want to know. The Percy was 
a nice sea craft, and when all sails were set with a breeze, 
she could go thirteen miles an hour. 



b5 



CHAPTER VI. 

CROSSING THE EQUATOR 

In those days when a ship went across the Equator 
and any one of the ship's crew had not crossed Neptune's 
vast domain, he had to go through the performance of 
taking a bath and a shave, in respect to the Gods of the 
Mighty Deep. And as we had passengers on board, the 
officers made it a point to have some fun out of it, and 
made ready for it. There were three sailors and a few 
passengers, the latter had to pay toll for crossing the 
line. 

It was a beautiful day and as the wind had shifted 
to the south-east without any disturbance as we sailed 
across, they doused everybody. The sailors put on their 
best, but to tell the truth, their best was not very good. 

At the ringing of four bells, or about 2 o'clock, the 
fun began. The officers and cabin passengers took their 
places at the front of the poop deck. The sailors stood 
around on each side near the railings, and next to them 
stood the stearage passengers. Near them was a tub full 
of water, fresh from the deep. . After a few remarks 
from the mate one of the leaders cried out, ' ' Let her go, 
boys!" One young man from London stepped into the 
center and to the tune of a mouth organ and a pair of 
clappers started a clog dance. 

The next on the program was a waltz played by Long 
Tom on an accordion, and six sailors swayed around in 
such a fantastic way that it caused everyone to Is ugh and 
clap their hands, especially the ladies. 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

The latter, however, took no part in the dance. They 
were too bashful to lock arms with the poor souls. After 
this, the three sailors that had to be dipped were called 
to the tub, one at a time, with no other clothing on than a 
thin white shirt and white pantaloons. One old sailor by 
the name of Dave, and another man took hold of him, 
and dipped him three times, taking care each time that 
he was well under water. When he came on top they be- 
gan to lather him with salt water soap, which was already 
prepared in a bucket. This was put all over his face and 
up to his ears with a large, coarse b v ush — he was well 
lathered. Old Dave then stropped his wooden razor, 
which was about 16 inches long, on an old piece of can- 
vass, and then started to shave him. When he finished 
shaving this sailor, he served the other two men in 
the same way. 

The next thing on the program was music and a song. 
After that came the aftermath. 

There were some old pieces of tarred rope in an old 
tar barrel, which were lit and the whole thing was then 
lowered over the stern of the ship and as it struck the 
water they let her go. As the sea was comparatively 
smooth the barrel floated very nicely on the surface of 
the deep, bobbing up and down throwing a ray of light on 
the water, and the golden sun with all its glory gradually 
going down below the horizon, with a beautiful sky, made 
a scene easier for the reader to imagine than for the 
writer to describe. 

But while everyone on board was in their best mood, 
who would have thought that within a couple of days 
something should happen which for a short time made 
every mother's son and daughter almost weep, some act- 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

ually shed tears. Having our watch below, and we had 
just laid down in our bunks, when someone came to the 
forecastle and shouted, "A man overboard !" 

He had hardly the words out of his mouth, when 
everyone was on his feet, and I dare say that in less than 
a minute we were all on deck. The sails were already 
backed up against the wind and one of the boats had just 
been lowered, so that left the starboard watch unoccu- 
pied. They, therefore, anxiously waited until Charley, 
our shipmate, was saved. 

As there was no high sea on, everything went smoothly 
while Charley, being a good swimmer, had quite a little 
time to think it over while he was floating with his life- 
saving apparatus on the deep. The boat was manned by 
the second mate and three sailors, trying their best to 
get him as quick as they could, as something might have 
happened and be too late. 

The man-eater shark is a terrible creature to look at 
and woe to those who come within his reach, and for that 
reason everyone on board was so afraid that a minute 
seemed to be an hour, and by the time they got him, he 
was at least a quarter of a mile behind the stern. It is, 
however, not very often to come across a man-eater so 
far in mid-ocean, as we were then ; they are more in the 
vicinity of the coast, but they are liable to be around at 
any time and anywhere in the tropical climes. 

As soon as our shipmate came on deck, we all shook 
hands with him, and while we were chatting, the stew- 
ard sang out, "All hands aft for grog." Of course, this 
was accepted very kindly, and thus, what seemed to 
be a thrilling* affair at the start, turned out very for- 
tunate. 



eg 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

Nothing happened outside the ordinary routine on 
board the ship until we got within two thousand miles of 
our destination, when one day, our watch starting to eat 
dinner, found something new to eat. One of the sailors 
took a piece of the new kind of food to try it, and no 
sooner had he put his teeth in it, than he blurted out with 
a curse, "What in h — , boys, what would you call this 
stuff, duff? I can no more chew it apart than a rubber 
ball. He can cook all right for the cabin passengers, but 
for us poor devils he doesn't care whether the grub 
turns out all right or not ; let us teach him a lesson and 
pay him back with his own cooking, what do you say, 
boys?" "All right, boys." 

Then everyone cut off a slice and rolled it up into the 
shape of a ball and came on deck. The oldest called to 
the cook and told him to come on deck as the boys wished 
to see him. As he did so, they fired at him from all 
sides; some missed, while others struck him right in the 
face and neck. It was done so quickly that he had no 
time to avoid being shot at with balls made of dough. 
There were a few of us who didn't get a chance to throw, 
and I was one ; but as I felt a, little sympathy for the poor 
sinner, I wasn't sorry that I didn't throw. My sympathy 
did not last very long, however, since I lingered a little 
longer near the door of the galley then the rest, and began 
to talk to the cook, in a friendly way, and to my surprise 
he blurted out, "What do you want, you Dutch son of a 
b ?" 

This, of course, settled my sympathy; it made me 
furious, and I called him all the names I could think of 
in my excitement; T tried to murder the English language 
without knowing it, which made some of the boys laugh. 
They cried out, "Give it to him, Dutch!" He got so mad 
that he came out of the galley and with a curse and an- 
69 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHAN 



other name such as he called me before, he came straight 
toward me but before he raised his long arm, I dipped 
my head between his under-pinnings and he flopped on 
his back in a rather awkward way, so that he could 
hardly move. His shoulders leaned against a spar, that 
was lashed against the bulwark. His head leaned back, 
while one of his arms was somewhat mixed in with the 
spar and one of the studs of the bulwark, and since his 
long legs were elevated and I between them, it must have 
looked more like a comical stunt than a fight to the boys. 
The latter laughed so loud that it could be heard all over 
the ship, while some of them shouted, "Give it to him, 
Dutchy," but I could not do anything, as I was clamped 
in between his legs which were resting on my shoulders 
close to my neck. But by this time, one of the officers 
came along and separated us and told me to go aft, that 
the Captain would talk to me. 

I was very much surprised, when Captain Janzen 
talked to me in Dutch, and asked me why I was fighting 
with the cook. I told him all about it, and no more. He 
listened attentively, and then gave me some good advice 
and told me to keep out of trouble. 

Not many days after, there was another fight; this 
time it was between the cook and Jimmy Ducks. This 
was according to science, but was a tame one on both 
sides. When one made a rush to strike, the other fell, 
thus neither got hurt. 

The next and the last scrap was between the second 
mate and the boatswain, the latter got it pretty bad. One 
of his eyes was closed and swelled to the size of a big 
plum. A few days after we arrived he was discharged. 
He was not what one could call a bad man, but a fellow 
with a great deal of boast and bluster and wanted Iris 
own way. He was tall and well built and had a voice 

70 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

like a fog horn. When he talked loud his voice vibrated 
all over the ship. If that man had trained himself for 
the stage, he could have been a great baritone singer, per- 
haps one of the greatest in the world. 

We had remarkable weather most of the time from 
the day we left London until we came within a few miles 
of the mouth of the river where we laid to — until day- 
light. While we were rolling up the foresail it so hap- 
pened that one man slipped down the gasket rope and 
slid to within 18 feet, as near as I can remember, of the 
gasket, which is a rope fastened to the jack stay to tie 
the sails up to the yard. Those who worked along side of 
him tried their best to lift him up, but by the time he was 
almost within reach of the foot rope, where he could get 
a better hold, he fell and landed on the deck on his feet 
and then dropped flat on his belly, breaking four teeth 
in his upper jaw. 

With the break of day, every sail was set and by noon 
we were alongside the pier of Obertown, the capital of 
Van Diemens Land, also called Tasmania. The former 
name was in honor of the Governor of Batavia (Van 
Diemen) ; the latter, the celebrated Dutch Navigator, 
Tasman, who first discovered the island, rounded Cape 
Horn and named it after the place where he was born, in 
Dutch Caap Hoora. The Dutch Government never made 
a settlement of any of the Islands, that Captain Tasman 
discovered after many years, when Captain Cook, a noted 
English navigator sailed around that part of the world, 
the English Government started to settle a part of Aus- 
tralia with banished convicts, never to return. Sydney, 
a big city in New South Wales, Australia, was the first 
settlement started with convicted people. 

After many years, when the influx of emigration in- 
creased, the convicts were transported to Obertown. 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

This was in the early days of the Eighteenth Century. 
Obertown, when the writer was there and before that 
time was not a place for banished convicts, as it once had 
been. They were sent to Freemantle, West Australia. 
Obertown was at that time a small place, and situated 
not far from the foot of Mount Wellington. 

The business and the promenade pastime was all done 
on Liverpool Street. The people of the town were very 
sociable and kind, although most of them were ex-crimin- 
als and had served their time in jail. Many of them did 
not deserve the terrible punishment they received, such 
as those striking an upstart of a young commissioned of- 
ficer, provoked through bad treatment. They all seemed 
well fed and enjoyed themselves. 

The principal industry of the Island is sheep raising, 
but all kinds of vegetables and fruits grow there in abun- 
dance. Meat of all kinds was cheap. The climate is 
well adapted for European people to live there. The 
country is well-provided with timber. 

Several times, while we were there, I visited the Park. 
The trees were very tall and stately. The fruit they 
bore was about ripe, when we came there and it was called 
Manna. Unless it was a dead calm, the fruit came to 
the ground, and if my memory serves me right, it was a 
very light yellow in color. It came down in little pieces, 
something like pop-corn. The fruit has a very sweet 
and fine flavor. 

With a day so balmy, it was no wonder to us poor 
sailors that so many of the people of the town took their 
outing at that lovely spot, in the shade of the tall trees 
with their long branches and thick foliage. It certainly 
was a refreshing place, and it made us wish that we could 
live to a good old age in such a climate. 

72 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

We thought of our sweethearts we left behind so far 
away, whom we might never see again. Such was the 
conversation between us while we were resting on the 
green carpet of nature, smoking our pipes until it was 
time for us to go to supper, and eat hard tack and drink 
some tea with a little sugar in it. 

There was also a botanical garden, the most beautiful 
I had seen up to that time in my wanderings around the 
world. It was a veritable paradise. Flowers and shrubs 
of all kinds from temperate climes as well as from the 
tropics, besides the palm trees found here and there. 

As soon as we were ready to take in our cargo, the 
first thing we took was oak bark in bags placed on top 
of railroad iron, which was used as a permanent ballast, 
in order to got her loaded deep enough, which the ship 
could not, with the cargo only. The first layer of bales 
were laid flat from fore to aft by hand, and then screws 
of different lengths were used to get more room for more 
bales between, until the tier was as thick as a brick Avail. 

A few days after we arrived a stranger came on 
board. As he stepped toward me, he held out his hand, 
and with a smile on his face, he said, "How are you, 
landsman?" "Very well," I answered. "Are you liv- 
ing in town?" I asked. "No, but I live not very far out- 
side of the city and I would like you to come and make me 
a visit at my home on Sunday, so you can see a little of 
the country at the same time. Will you come?" "Sure, 
I will be glad to take a walk and see a little of this island 
country so far away from my home. ' ' 

He took my hand, looked around for a few seconds, 
and then with a sad look on his face, waved his hand in 
the direction of his native land, he longed to see once 
more, but for some reason could not leave the island. 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

When Sunday came, my chum and I started out in 
the forenoon to see the old gentleman. As it was but a 
couple of miles from the ship we took our time, but soon 
reached the road he had pointed out to us. On each side 
there were stately trees and cottages well painted, gar- 
dens well stocked with fruit trees, such as apple, pear, 
cherry and many others. 

As the day was as balmy as man could wish for, and 
the sweetness of its surroundings that permeated the air, 
made the walking the most delightful I had ever had in 
all my sailing. When we came to the house the old gen- 
tleman met us. He shook hands with us and took us 
around the house and showed us the different things he 
had on his little plantation. Everything was slick and 
clean. The fruit trees were as fine as any I had ever 
seen. > I 

After he had showed us everything about the garden, 
we went around to the front of the house and sat down 
on the grass. The main topic of conversation was the 
Old Country and our experience while there. At no time 
did he give us a hint of what brought him to this island, 
Tasmania by name, whose first settlers were English 
convicts, and some of their friends who came afterwards. 

He seemed to know a good deal about Holland's mer- 
chandise ships and also the English merchandise ships, 
on which he had sailed so many years ago. He either took 
French leave, while he was there as a sailor on board 
of a ship, or else he did not live up to the rules while 
sailing under the English flag, which sent him to the 
island like all the rest. He married after he had received 
his ticket relief, and made his living on the island, a 
country most favorable to all conditions of life. 

74 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

Our visit ended with refreshments and the promise of 
seeing us before we sailed, besides giving us some of the 
fruit he had picked from his trees. 

From the time we arrived at the pier of Oberton, un- 
til we had secured three thousand bales of lamb's wool 
in the hole of the Percy, and the good old lady had made 
ready to spread out her wings for another homeward 
drive across the mighty deep, eleven weeks had passed. 

A few days before we left, our old friend came along 
and gave us a bag full of apples and pears, and some 
other kinds of fruit, shook hands with us and said, "I 
wish I could go with you; good bye." 

In the forenoon of the day before we set sail, we loft 
the pier and let go the anchor in mid-stream, to take 
some steerage and cabin passengers on board and some 
other things needed in order to get ready to heave up 
the anchor and start. 

At noon the next day the passengers were on board 
and everything was ready to heave up the anchor. The 
people on the pier were shouting and waving their hand- 
kerchiefs as the sailors were singing a favorite ditty — 
"Way Down Upon the Suwanee Eiver, Far, Far, Away," 
and as the anchor was lifted off the bottom, the men be- 
gan to get the sails in order. The ship proved to be good 
to plow the deep for another twelve thousand miles, and 
it landed us safely on the London dock with a cargo of as 
fine wool as ever grew on the back of a lamb. 

It may seem strange to some who read this biography, 
why we should take our course homeward bound by way 
of Cape Horn, instead of taking the same route back that 
we took when we came. It depends entirely upon the 
season of the year and the direction of the wind, and 
from what port you are homeward bound. 

76 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

From the time we left Obertown until we got within 
a day or two of being in the latitude where the icebergs 
came floating down from the Antarctic Ocean, orders 
were given to double the lookout, and that everyone in 
the watch on deck should also keep their eyes open. Any 
one of the sailors who should report the first iceberg m 
sight from the ship, would get a present from the cabin 
passengers, of which there were about a dozen. The 
first present was a pound sterling; second, ten shillings 
in money. 

If my memory serves me right, with what I have seen, 
I can without stretching it, say that one of the twenty- 
one Ave passed was no less than two miles long, according 
to the observation taken by Captain Johnson and his 
^officers. If that iceberg was at least two hundred feet 
high, the reader can easily form an idea of the depth of 
the ice under water, allowing a fraction less than fresh 
water, the latter being less buoyant than salt water. By 
experience, if we pull a cake of solid, clear ice out of 
a body of fresh water, we would find at least three-fourths 
of it under water; hence such a tremendous block of ice 
would figure no less than six hundred feet below the sur- 
face of the water. But now let us suppose that a block 
of ice is a mile square, how easy it would be for some ice 
barons to figure out how many tons of ice there were in 
that block of frozen water. Maybe some of the King's 
ice merchants of today have heard their fathers tell 
all about it, when they, who are now living, were but 
children. 

Isn't it too bad, when we stop to think about it, that a 
few of the most distinguished and renowned personages 
neglected to find some one of the working class to invent 
some kind of a rig to take hold of it and take it to Sandy 
Hook, where they could dispose of it by the pound 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

as extra quality, raised in the Antarctic ice fields, 
What an immense amount of money they could have 
made if they had not neglected it. It seems very strange 
to me that such a thing could happen with men of brains, 
so much superior to any of the workers. 

By the way, as we sailed along and passed the re- 
maining icebergs that drifted in on our track, we noticed 
that they were small in comparison with the ones I have 
mentioned, but larger than those I had seen in the At- 
lantic Ocean ; but with all those icebergs drifting along in 
our path, nothing happened, and why? Because every- 
body kept a lookout, and no one was drunk. 

To run into an iceberg with all eyes open as they stand 
watch, is something I don't understand, unless the at- 
mosphere is clouded with fog. 

The last one we passed could not have been more than 
fifty rods from us, and everyone that was not sleeping 
came on deck to have a good look at an iceberg so near 
us as we passed along on our journey. 

It was a fine February day and as the sun was shin- 
ing and our Lady Percy occasionally made a plunge, dip- 
ping her nose in the water, and with renewed strength as 
it were, raised her head, snorting as she went at the rate 
of eleven or twelve knots an hour. "Go it, Old Girl, go 
it," some one of the sailors would sing out, feeling glad 
that we were nearing Cape Horn, which we rounded a 
couple of days after we passed the last iceberg. 

Everything turned out in our favor, with fair winds 
and strong breezes, we came within twenty-one degrees 
south of the Equator, where the gentle south-east trade 
winds never change. 

77 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

By that time the officers were getting ready to begin 
tarring the rigging, scraping the masts, painting and 
all such work that is necessary in order to make the 
ship look slick when she arrived home. As it takes time 
to do all such work, those who go to ports necessitating 
crossing the line, make it a point to do this work coming 
back. 

We crossed the line nnder the most favorable con- 
ditions of the wind, and sailed along without any mishap, 
arriving in London all right. 

As soon as we were paid off I went to Amsterdam, 
Holland, and met Marie at the same place where I had 
left her. She had received my letter, but had not heard 
a thing from my poor brother. I stayed in the city for 
about a week, making all kinds of promises to the poor 
girl, which I meant well, but could not keep. 

There was something lacking and that something was 
the almighty dollar. The only thing which will insure 
comfort, providing one is not so selfish as to never get 
enough and crave for more. The wages in those days 
were far below what they are now. What then, must a 
young man be that had nothing to offer but a very scant 
living at its best, to a poor innocent girl. 

But alas! There are thousands, yes, hundreds of 
thousands of such unfortunate creatures that have to 
spend their days in silent misery, brought about by the 
damnable system by which the cunning, good-for-nothing 
idlers can have all the pleasure and comfort there is to 
be got on this beautiful planet, but not without the help 
of those who love to talk and preach in order to keep the 
majority of the people in the most shameful ignorance 
and thereby have a jolly good time with those who know 
no bounds for pleasure. 

78 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

Of course there are exceptions in that class of gen- 
tlemen, of which the majority live in the country. Out- 
side the latter class of reverents, I have not the least 
sympathy with such a type of gentlemen that stand by 
the side of the capitalist to keep the nations in turmoil; 
preach patriotic sermons to the young, and to all those 
who join the ranks and kill their brother men, for the 
benefit of a preferred class that neither sow nor reap; 
a class who love the divine rights and have a seat behind 
the royal stand backs. 



79 



CHAPTEB VII. 

EUROPE TO NEW YORK AND RETURN 

A few days after I arrived in Eotterdam I shipped in 
an American ship — the Maria — bound to a coaling sta- 
tion situated not far from Penant, where we took a load 
of black diamonds for New York. 

On our trip everything went along nicely and we 
had a pleasant voyage until we came to within a half 
day's sailing of Sandy Hook, when late in the forenoon 
some of the crew, of which I was one, were rolling up 
some sails that had to be stowed away with other things 
before the pilot came on board. In order to do that, we 
had to work as fast as we could and as our skill would 
allow. Thus, while we were busy, the mate came along 
and in a loud and commanding voice told us to hurry. I 
answered in a submissive way that we were doing our 
best to get done. That made him furious. He walked 
to the ship's railing, near to where I was working with 
another sailor, he picked up a coil of rope from a blain- 
pin, and walked up to me and was about to lambaste my 
damned head — as he expressed it — for having the impu- 
dence of opening my mouth without being told to do so, 
by such a superior, brainy man as he was, but he was a 
little too slow. As I guarded off the blow, he made a 
move to pound me with his fist, and I, by this time, for- 
got all about my respect for my superior. As he was 
nothing extra in a fighting way, any more than my 
poor self, we must have made quite a show, working our 
way toward the door of the forecastle, which stood open. 
He fell on his back and his head struck the floor of the 
forecastle about a foot inside, while his elbows rested on 

80 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

the threshold. I was trying my best to strike him, for- 
getting all about my respect and decency toward my su- 
perior dastard of a mate, on board a ship. The second 
mate — a big tall fellow — dragged me off that fire-eating 
scoundrel, that kicked be so unmercifully all over, even 
on my poor head, while the other kept me on my back. 

However, it was very fortunate for me that that in- 
human devil wore leather slippers instead of boots. It 
was over in no time. 

As it was fine weather, the captain spent a good deal 
of his time on deck, talking with a gentleman passenger, 
it so happened that he heard the rumpus, saice I hollered 
out loud "Stop that," when that whelp kicked me in the 
head. The captain ordered him to stop it and to come aft 
right away which he did and I also. He went down into 
the cabin and I had to stand behind the man that was 
at the helm. The captain stood close to the steps going- 
down into the cabin. I don't believe I had stood there 
more than one minute, when I heard the mate coming up, 
but the captain was too wise for him. "Stay down there/ ' 
he said, and then he told me to go to my work. 

It is almost useless to state that if the captain hadn't 
known what was going to happen, if he hadn't stood 
where he was, that devil of a man would have shot me as 
sure as hell is on earth, and what for? For telling him 
we were doing our best. 

Late in the afternoon the pilot came on board, and by 
that time the mate came on deck, but as it was too late 
to get to the harbor, we dropped anchor at Long Island. 

At daybreak the next morning we started for New 
York, and before the day was over we were moored along 
side the pier with everything cleaned up and ready to 
go on shore, and as usual the land shark runners were 
on hand without fail, taking some whiskey along and a 

8i 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

little flapjack flattery to swallow also ; but I was fortu- 
nate to have a good chum on board, the only American 
sailor 'fore the mast. He took me along to the place 
where he had boarded before, the best I had while sail- 
ing. 

A few days after, we were paid off, and I made a 
short trip on the coast, coming back to New York, board- 
ing at the same place. 

Sailors, like other people, need clothing to wear, and 
as they didn't know the worth of the goods, they gener- 
ally pay double their value. Adding this to the seven dol- 
lars a week for board and lodging, tobacco and recrea- 
tion money, there isn't much left for one that has to stay 
from one, to three weeks on shore, unless he does not care 
what other sailors think of him. Of course it is very 
foolish to mimic others when it is better not to, but 
such was the case with me as well as with the majority of 
the sailors all over the world, wound about with strange 
experiences, privations, suffering and narrow escapes. 

The next trip I made was with the Minnie Ha Ha to 
Londonderry, one of the oldest towns in Ireland, situated 
in the county of the same name. This ship was loaded 
with a cargo of wheat. 

In the early morning I went on board, and before the 
day was over I found out that I was the only foreigner 
on board. Most every sailor lived in Ireland, except my- 
self. 

As soon as we were outside and the tug boat let go 
the lines, and the sails all set, I learned by actual exper- 
ience how one feels when by chance he falls in with a 
crowd of his own class but not with men from his native 
land. To be looked upon as if he, the poor sinner from 
somewhere, seemed to be not as good as they, because he 
hailed from another part of the world and his ways and 

83 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

manners were a little different. I also found out that I 
had to do things on that trip, such as going up aloft when 
it was time for one of the watch walking the deck, of 
which I was one, instead of their hanging back and 
waiting for one man to do it all. As most of the sailors 
lived in Londonderry and the rest near by, and some of 
them more or less related, and never had sailed any- 
where else, only to New York and back, they thought, 
perhaps, that it would do no harm to get a little more of 
the jump-up and down out of that young Dutchman, while 
there was a chance. 

As soon as the deck was cleared of all obstructions, 
and the watch picked out, all hands were called for din- 
ner, which was well worth going for. It was a soup made 
of vegetables and beef, mostly beef. As soon as the cook 
had placed a wooden dish on the main hatch, everyone 
made a rush for the soup and tried to get there first, 
and fill their tin pans, and by the time they all had served 
themselves, I walked up towards the soup dish to help 
myself, but there was hardly a smell left of that enticing 
dinner. Of course this made me feel not very comfort- 
able at the inner part of my stomach; I felt hungry. I 
went to the cook and asked if there was any dinner left. 
"No," then he swore and called them the meanest hogs 
he ever met. "You go to the steward, they may have 
some left in the cabin.' ' So I went, and got all I wanted, 
meat as well as the rest. The cook told me afterwards 
that I should have followed their example, and not be 
afraid. "No one will interfere. " After that I got my 
share, except one day when they had potatoes for din- 
ner. I didn't get one, but I kept still and said nothing. 

By the time I got within a day or two of our destina- 
tion I began to look things over, and found that two ar- 
ticles were missing. My best shirt, and something else 

83 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

for which I didn't care so much. I remember well that 
in the early hours of the forenoon, we sailed into the 
river Foil, and before the day was over everyone that be- 
longed to the boat, a little while before it was dark, were 
gone with their bags and all their baggage, except my- 
self. As I was told that I could, stay on board until Sat- 
urday evening, when a little steamer which plied between 
Glasgow and Londonderry would arrive, I began to 
think that Captain Magra and some of the officers must 
have talked it over between themselves, what to do with 
that young Dutchman. 

There was no chance for me to get away from Lon- 
donderry, which was but a small shipping port, unless I 
waited until the Minnie Ha Ha started out again for 
New York. 

In the afternoon of the next day, the crew were paid 
off. When my turn came — the last on the list — the cap- 
tain asked me where I intended to go. I said that I 
wished to go to Glasgow; then, with what was coming to 
me, he handed me a free ticket to Glasgow and my dis- 
charge. 

The boat was due on Saturday, in the forenoon, and 
left between eight and nine o'clock at night. 

I was very much pleased and thankful for the kind- 
ness Captain Magra bestowed on me. A good discharge 
is worth a great deal to a sailor, who roams all over the 
world and does not care under what flag he sails, or 
where he may land ; more so with those who have no par- 
ents and very few friends, if any. Such was the case 
with me, and thousands of others that had to spend a 
part of their existence on earth, not much better than 
a dog's life in those days, when there were but few steam- 
boats. It is a good deal better now; one gets better food, 
better pay and less abuse. 

84 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

Dividing my time between the boat and the shore, I 
ventured to spend a sixpence, or more, going- to the thea- 
ter, the same evening of the day I was paid off, and the 
next morning I had breakfast on shore. To tell the truth, 
if everything was as cheap in proportion as those two 
things, it would be about the cheapest place to live, as it 
was the cheapest place I had been in up to that time. If 
it hadn't been for the want of money, I should have 
stayed in that ancient town bordering the river banks, a 
long while, surrounded by a country of Erin so green. 

The number of passengers that arrived on board Sat- 
urday night was between twenty-five and thirty. Most 
all were married people. They seemed to be of Scotch 
and Irish descent. 

There was no other accommodation for the passen- 
gers than an open space below the upper deck with two 
long benches nailed tight against the sides. By the 
time we were well on our way and every noise and ex- 
citement had subsided one of the gentlemen on board sug- 
gested that someone start a song, and in less time than I 
can tell it, one man and a woman were singing. After 
the song was over two or three men passed along the 
drink. They passed it to the ladies as well as to the men, 
and the former took it very ladylike. 

As they made out that I was a sailor, someone asked 
— after I had my tip — if I could give them a song, say- 
ing that they liked to hear me sing and at the same 
time nattering me with their ideas that I must have a 
good pair of lungs and a clear voice. This, of course, 
would not have been quite so uncomfortable if it hadn't 
been for the rest, whose eyes were all centered on me, in 
a somewhat interesting and kindly way. Not being very 
bashful before — this, however, was almost too much for 

85 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

me, and made me look more sideways than straight, my 
natural way. But after a little while, I got up some cour- 
age, and told them that if they would sing one more song, 
I would try to sing a sailor 's ditty. "All right, laddie/ ' 
They, with renewed effort, sang again. Before my turn 
came, another round of eye-opener was passed along, and 
then I started singing the same old song, "Way Down 
Upon the Suwanee Eiver, Far, Far Away. ' ' When I had 
finished the last sentence in a low and drawling way 
with my eyes half shut, they all shook hands with me 
and said that I did well, but I said nothing. 

It must have been past midnight when most all were 
asleep and it was quiet. Those who could not get rest sit- 
ting on the benches, slept on the floor. Not until we got 
half way up the river did anyone awaken us, and as 
we were only a few miles from the landing, everyone 
was busy washing and cleaning themselves up ready to 
go on shore. They all seemed to be in a hurry to get 
off the boat as soon as she was made fast along side 
the pier. 

I waited until they had all passed by, shaking hands 
more than I had since I left the orphan asylum. When 
they were all gone, I went on shore, leaving my sailor 
bag on board. It don't take very long to size up a place, 
big or small, to form some idea of what a place is before 
going into it, providing one has been in other places. 

Stretching along on one side near the river the me- 
tropolis of Scotland loomed up. It was not only a great 
and beautiful city, but a city so well managed that the 
people who live there may be very proud of it. 

By the time I had landed, all the passengers were 
gone, and there was not a soul to be seen in any direc- 
tion, so far as I could see. The time of day was between 
seven and eight o'clock A. M., and there was nothing do- 
ss 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 



ing; everything was as still as a graveyard. While 
walking up and down along side the pier for several min- 
utes, I happened to look up and saw a man coming to- 
ward me. I asked him if he could tell me where I could 
find a boarding house. "0, yes, and I'll go with you if 
you want me to. Where is your baggage?" So I went 
and got my bag, and off he went with my bag on his 
back. 

When we reached the house, the boarding master him- 
self came to the door, greeting the man that took me 
there saying, "Halloo, Jim, another boarder?" "Yes, 
sir," was the reply, then he turned to me and asked, 
"Have you a discharge?" "Yes sir," I replied. "All 
right sir, come in." Then he asked me if I had any 
money, and I told him I had a little. "Well, give him a 
shilling," which I did cheerfully. It did not take me long 
to find out that I was with good people for the time be- 
ing. 

There were three more boarders in the house. After 
a few days I began to feel bad and for several days I 
stayed in. The Mrs. took good care of me. One morning 
as I was going to look for a chance to ship, the boarding 
master came to me and asked me if I would like to make 
a trip to Porto Spain, on the Island of Trinidad? 
"She is a full rigged ship and will be loaded at Green- 
och." "That suits me all right," I said. The next day 
Mr. M. Gaerry (for that was the name of the srood Irish 
boarding master) went with me to the office and I shipped 
with all the others of the crew, with one month's pay in 
advance, amounting to two pounds and fifteen shillings. 

We had orders to be on board at a reasonable time in 
the forenoon of the next day. Accompanied by my friend, 
Mr. Gaerry, I stepped on board with a blessing and good 
bye. 

S7 



CHAPTER VIII. 

THE STORMIEST VOYAGE OF MY CAREER 

With bitter experiences ahead, we started with twenty 
sailors and seven officers for Greenock, a shipping place 
below Glasgow on the river, to be loaded with a cargo of 
coal, brick and some cases of blue vitrol. 

The following day we took in our load of black dia- 
monds in bulk besides six hogsheads of the same ma- 
terial and seventy thousand brick. The six cases of 
vitrol were placed in a house on deck which was used for 
a sail locker but also for a convenient place for anything 
that may be stored away if not in use. A part of this 
deck house was partitioned off for the use of the cooper 
and carpenter, with a partition between them. 

On the 11th of December, 1864, we left Greenock with 
fair and fine weather to start with. It looked as if we 
were to have a pleasant trip to Trinidad, but the weather 
is often times very changeable. Sailing along very nicely 
with all sails set and well on our way on the ocean, the 
wind began to change, the barometer went down and 
clouds began to gather. A little while before the man 
at the helm struck eight bells, meaning 8 o'clock P. M., 
all of the smaller sails were tied up. As I was one 
of the starboard watch which had the pleasure to go to 
their bunks, it turned out for us poor sinners that for 
the next twelve hours we got the worst of it. 

Taking our jackets and boots off, we lay down in our 
bunks, smoking our pipes to drive dull care away. While 

ss 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

the wind was increasing and everyone of ns was just 
about asleep, a loud voice shouted, "All hands on deck, 
boys, reef the top sails! Hurry up!" In less than two 
minutes all were on deck. The night was pitch dark 
and as there was a high sea with a wind of at least forty 
miles an hour, and still increasing, there was something 
doing for all of us before the good old ship Chippewa 
felt a little easier and stopped some of her wild antics, 
while she was trying to fight her way through the angry 
billows. When all was done for the present, the old craft 
felt easier, and the port watch could go below. 

Thus the starboard watch had to be on deck almost 
eight hours before their turn came again. Sailing under 
short sails with no prospects of better weather, we drift- 
ed along without any more calling out during the night. 

At 8 o'clock in the morning the port watch were 
pumping the water out, while two of us were ordered to 
go up aloft to lower down the main royal mast. It isn't 
by any means a job that a sailor would care to do, no 
matter whether he be old or young, but it had to be done, 
as there was no sign for the better, and the noble ship 
strained herself every time when a heavy sea splashed 
against her black sides. It was a good thing we had a 
captain who knew how to manage a ship and to be care- 
ful in time before it was too late. When this work was 
finished we were all glad. It made the Old Girl act a 
little easier. After eating our breakfast we relieved the 
port watch, cleared the deck, and, now and then, tested 
the pumps. The ship was doing her best to keep as far 
from the Irish coast as possible with the two reefed 
lower top sails, and a few yards of canvas to keep her 

as 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 



head up against the sea. It was but a few days after that 
it blew so hard the fore lower top sails tore all to pieces. 

To tell the truth and nothing but the truth, not one 
of the poor sinners were in a hurry to jump the rigging 
to save the rags, but as soon as one started then all fol- 
lowed. It so happened that the captain was on deck and 
hearing the noise from) above, came down from the poop 
deck and he looked at the slowness of the poor jacks who 
didn't care much for saving yards of old canvas that 
might knock their heads off while they were trying to get 
hold of it, in a storm that blew hard enough to blow the 
wool off a sheep. He wanted to encourage us and show 
us how quick he could go up the rigging. He went up on 
the weather side behind the sailors that were ahead of 
him, while some of them were on the leeward side going 
up. He hadn't gone up eight feet when he stuck against 
the ratlings for about two minutes before he made up 
his mind to come down. No sooner had he come down 
than everyone was ordered to be quick and help throw 
the six cases of vitrol overboard. As we came in, we 
thought we smell ed something burning, and the tubs in 
which the vitrol was placed were warm. It took but a 
few seconds to ward off the danger. 

From the second day we started there was more or 
less thunder and lightning, with no signs for the bet- 
ter. The ship began to leak and the pump had to be 
worked day and night and the poor cook had all he could 
do to get us something to eat such as it was. But bad 
as it was for all of us there was no other damage done 
than the leakage to the ship. Wet to the skin day and 
night with only one dry shirt for a shift, whenever the 
turn came for a few hours' rest, until the time was up to 
take it off and put it under the pillow to keepi it warm and 
put on our wet garments on our bare skin; but man will 

90 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 



get used to misery, and ought to be thankful for the 
privilege to atone for the sin of Adam and Eve which was 
committed in the garden, and at the same time be thank- 
ful for the hard tack and salt junk, and see the world 
free of charge., with $10.00 in advance to buy a square 
meal, as soon as poor Jack could get a chance to step on 
shore in a foreign land. 

After keeping the pumps going for a while our 
watch went below, as there was nothing more to do than 
to keep the pump going. It so happened on the next day 
— when all hands were pumping, a heavy sea with the 
force of a cannon shot plunged on deck and sent every 
mother's son sprawling across the deck. It tore away 
half the starboard upper railings, slashed the pig pen 
to pieces and killed the poor brute of a pig that occupied 
it. This happened two days before Christmas. 

At about 6 o'clock on Christmas eve I was one of 
those to go on the poop deck to put two more lashings on 
a boat that hung on the inside of the railings, on the 
starboard side. As the heavens above us looked bad 
enough from the time that terrible storm started, never 
letting up until this time, it seemed that the two elements 
should have a duel and fight it out. The barometer went 
down to the last notch. When we were almost finished 
with lashing the boat, there came a lull, with a sky that 
would frighten any sailor. Then came a roar so terrible 
it seemed as if the heavens were let loose. Everyone 
dropped the ropes at the pump, and ran to the forecastle, 
with the exception of the man lashed at the helm and 
the two of us secured at the mizzen mast. 

Standing with our backs against the leeward side of 
the mast, my shipmate wanted to say something to me 
but I could not understand him, and from that time until 
the frightful hurricane abated, there was not a word 

91 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

spoken. The high seas that were running before the 
hurricane struck us, went down. The terrible blast 
changed the surface of the mighty waters to a mass of 
white foam spitting up in the air, and it also changed the 
darkness of the fore-night into light, and no water came 
on deck. While the noble ship leaned over about thirty- 
five degrees on her port side, and trembled like a leaf, 
there seemed to be but little hope left for us to see an- 
other Christmas day. 

Standing close together on the leeward side of the 
mizzen mast, leaning our backs, our clothing wet to the 
skin against the same, bending our heads a little and 
thinking of the past, we occasionally raised our eyes 
and gazed into space, and wondered how long this would 
last, hoping that we would get a chance to pump the water 
out of the hold and keep the ship from sinking v "We 
also hoped for better weather to stear our way into 
Queenstown harbor. We were told this by one of the of- 
ficers and it made us very anxious. 

Between 11 and 12 o'clock the wind began to slacken 
and at the end of the latter hour the force of the hurri- 
cane was broken. The wind settled down to a stiff blow, 
then all hands went to the pump and after a while were 
told to go down to the cabin. 

As we went into the cabin, we were asked to fall on 
our knees and pray with the captain, who was reading 
prayers out of a little book. He told us that the barom- 
eter had come up a little, and that they were hoping that 
the wind would soon change. We were to do our best to 
keep the water down to where it was. 

The captain told us that in all his experiences at sea 
he had never seen such weather. The mercury had fallen 
to the last notch, and after he had encouraged us, w e all 

82 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHAN8 

went to the pumps. While we were pumping, two of the 
oldest sailors were told to go down with the second mate 
to make sure the way was clear, and to find the condition 
of the ship in regard to the leakage. 

By 4 o'clock things began to look more encouraging. 
The wind changed, but the ship was leaking badly. In the 
day time we were given very little time for rest, and 
without the least drop of Dutch courage — as the saying 
goes — to put into our empty stomachs. Then, too, we 
were all suffering more or less with our hands. The 
joints on the inside of our fingers were split open, the 
cause of which was the pressing of the salt water against 
the skin while pulling the ropes. 

Before the day after Christmas was over, a few sails 
were set, and by the next day, all the canvas was up, ex- 
cept the little sails. With a fair wind and better weather 
we finally sailed into Queenstown harbor, which was on 
the first day of the new year, 1865. There was over six 
feet of water in the hold. 

As soon as the anchor was down and everything 
cleared up, all hands took hold of the bell ropes, started 
a song and kept on pumping until the cook announced 
supper. But before we started for the forecastle, we all 
stood around in a circle with the mate in the center, 
shouting ' ' Three cheers for the captain and the good old 
ship Chippewa." Then we went to dinner and spent the 
rest of the day hanging our wet clothing on the rigging 
to dry, took a smoke and went to rest until supper was 
ready. After that we worked the pumps for an hour or 
more and took an all night's rest. 

As I remember it, we must have stayed there more 
than two weeks to repair the damage done. A few days 
before we were ready to start, the captain left us, going 

93 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

back to Scotland. What for? No one of the sailors could 
find out. Perhaps he wanted a good rest or else was 
promoted for his skill and good judgment in the stearing 
of the ship into the harbor, in such terrible weather as 
we had for three weeks. 

The new captain came on board two days before we 
started on our voyage again. With fair wind we dropped 
anchor after thirty-two days of pleasant sailing, at our 
anchorage place off the coast of Trinidad, Porto Spain, 
safe and sound. 

The next day as we were getting ready for the light- 
ers to take our cargo, without warning I dropped flat on 
my belly with such a terrible cramp within me, it made 
me roll from one side of the deck to the other. I was so 
helpless all I could do was to groan and feel as if I was 
being tortured to death. WTiile I was moaning and groan- 
ing, the ship's carpenter who was doing something near 
me, ran to the cabin, ordered the steward to be quick and 
hand me a glass of brandy with some pepper. Coming 
back with all the haste he could, he told one of my ship- 
mates to hold me steady while he was pouring it in my 
mouth. Then with a few soothing words he said, "Now 
Dutchy, poor boy, take it all. " After a few minutes I be- 
gan to feel easier. They picked me up and laid me down 
in my bunk and after a good sleep I felt as well as ever. 

But what was going to happen next was the question 
I asked myself when I went through those few minutes of 
such awful torture. 

After the brick and the bulk coal was unloaded the 
six hogsheads had to be looked after by the cooper in 
Jo'rder to find out if they were all sound. Thus when 
the time came to unload them I was told to go down and 
help the cooper to roll them under the hatch-way. I 

H 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

helped put on the slings and hooked them on. When the 
fifth one was ready, I stayed on the hogshead with my 
right hand holding onto the chain. When I was about to 
step on deck a few inches from the top of the hatch-way, 
the chain broke. The heavy load came down nice along 
side of the other, for no two men could place them so 
close together. As for myself, I laid stretched as straight 
as a lamp post. 

I laid flat on my back as straight as any undertaker 
ever laid out a corpse, without a sign of life. With a 
face, a few minutes before, with healthy cheeks, but now 
as pale as milk, it looked as if there was no life left in me. 
Most of the one broken part of the chain came down on 
my shoulder and breast, leaving my head in the circle. 
After taking the chain from my body they gently picked 
me up and placed me against the starboard side of the 
hold. 

They kept close watch and after a few minutes one 
shouted he is breathing slowly, then they put me in a 
boatswain's chair to get me on deck and from there to my 
bunk. When I came to my senses I didn't feel much pain 
until the next day after a long sleep,I began to feel the 
reaction of my body and for a few days I didn't feel very 
comfortable. 

A few days after that most narrow escape from being 
killed a lighter came along side with a load of hogsheads 
containing sugar and a half a dozen negroes to load the 
ship. The cooper that had charge of those large barrels 
went on shore and stayed there until the ship was loaded, 
but he was taken sick a few days before we were ready 
to sail. As there was no cure for him the doctor wanted 
him to stay in the hospital, but he begged to be allowed 
to go on board, that he would rather die on the ocean 
than on land. The request was granted. 

95 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

The day before we started they brought him on board, 
looking more like a walking skeleton than a live man. 
The doctor ordered several bottles of wine for the cooper 
to drink, two or three glasses a day, leaving it to the 
captain's option. 

But as there was no help for him, and he craving 
for more wine than was allowed to give him, the captain 
let him have it. Our poor shipmate kept failing every 
day. 

I remember well that on a Sunday night, ten days af- 
ter we left Trinidad, one of my shipmates and I, walking 
to and fro on the main deck, with orders from the officer 
of the watch to look out for the cooper that he might not 
get out of his bunk, and possibly jump overboard. Thus 
walking to and fro, turning around each time within 
twenty-five or thirty feet of his hut, where he slept in an 
upper bunk, there was no chance for anything more un- 
pleasant than it was. It so happened between 11 and 12 
o 'clock as we turned around facing him, his skeleton legs 
hanging over the side, his hands holding fast to some- 
thing trying to get out, my shipmate, a big, strong and 
dapper young man, ran to him and laid him on his 
back as easily and gently as if he was a baby. He was 
a man six feet tall with broad shoulders well develop- 
ed when I first met him on board when we left Glasgow, 
but now he was nothing but flesh and bone. Sailing for 
many years to the West Indies and back to some port on 
the British Isles, he got to be such a rum fiend that at 
last the coating of his stomach was almost gone. He 
died a few hours after midnight. Before daylight he 
was sewed up in a few yards of canvas with a heavy 
weight tied to his feet, ready to be dumped overboard* 

After breakfast, when everything was trimmed above 
and cleaned up on deck, all hands were ordered to come 

86 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

and stand amidships next to the starboard railing. 
Six of the sailors carried the corpse. One end of the 
plank on which our shipmate was laid out was placed on 
top of the railing to rest, with two men on each side 
holding it up until the captain, who stood at the head of 
the dead, got through with his prayer and pronounced 
the word "dump." 

If I was asked about a funeral on board a ship, what 
I thought about it, I would say this : A funeral on land 
is at all time a sad thing, more or less, to friends that are 
left behind, but is is so common on the land very few 
people give it but a passing notice. On board of ship 
where there are but few it is more sad. When a sailor 
dies on board he is not only missed by everyone on board 
(which is bad enough) as no one can take his place, but 
to sew a man into a piece of canvas, lay him on a plank 
and then dump your shipmate overboard is about the 
saddest funeral (with the exception of my own dear 
friends) I ever experienced. From that time everything 
went smooth and we arrived at our destination in the 
harbor of Bristol, an ancient and important city of En- 
gland. The city is famous for its magnificent cathedral 
seven hundred years old. Bristol was for a long period 
the second most important commercial seaport and em- 
porium after London. 

As soon as the crew was paid off, I left Bristol the 
next day for London. Arriving at Paddington Station 
I hired a cab that took me to the Welstreet Sailors' Home 
where I spent a week or more, at the same time looking 
out for a chance to join another ship, and writing to the 
poor girl with more promises and resolutions. 



17 



CHAPTER IX. 

A PLEASANT VOYAGE TO AUSTRALIA 

One morning as I walked into the shipping office I 
was surprised to see so many sailors waiting for the cap- 
tain to pick out his men. Every one that was there was 
a foreigner. He picked out nine, leaving a few, but they 
also got a chance on a sister ship of the one I joined, the 
Gaulway. 

Both ships were iron clad built vessels belonging to 
one company, built for the wool trade and bound for Port 
Adelaide, South Australia. The two sister ships started 
on their journeys the same day. The Star left a few 
hours ahead of us. When we got into the channel the 
wind was ahead with a considerable sea on, but toward 
night the wind shifted in our favor. In the early morning 
of the next day one of the officers went up aloft with his 
spy glass to look to see if our partner was yet in sight, 
stearing the same course, but there was nothing to be 
seen of the ship. 

As it does not take long for one on board ship to find 
out where all the others came from, we all agreed that we 
were the most mixed crew that ever stepped on board 
a ship. We were on an English ship, but there was not 
one of the nine able seamen that was born or raised in 
any part of Great Britain. 

We were all foreigners except one orderly seaman. 
Of the nine sailors there were two Swedes, one Fin- 
lander, one Spaniard, one Austrian, one Greek, one 
Portuguese, one from Hamburg, Germany, and myself 
from the land of dykes, Holland or Netherland, Dutch. 

M 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

Most of us didn't have a home to speak of or think about. 
As for me, I didn't have any, and yet it proved to be the 
best crew I happened to be with while I was wandering, 
not knowing where I was to land next. 

"With a light wind and calms before we crossed the 
Equator we made better headway until we entered the 
harbor of Port Adelaide. No one on board thought that 
the Star would come in ahead of us. But alas ! She was 
unloaded and waiting for a cargo of wool. She made 
her trip in a few more than one hundred days. I lost a 
bet of a new cap for coming along side the pier almost 
two weeks later. 

As soon as we came within hearing distance of the 
Star they all and we likewise shouted and waved our 
hats. But of course they poked a little fun at us for 
being so slow sailing behind them. 

As I have stated before, that mixed crew was the 
best, which was a pleasure for anyone that liked to be 
peaceable. I learned by experience that no matter where 
a man comes from, his religion, or under what conditions 
he struggles along in life, he can be either a man or noth- 
ing if he is so disposed, whether he is rich or poor. 
Prejudiced people are more to be feared than the ig- 
norant. A nation where the majority of the people are 
so ignorant, not knowing what is going on in their own 
country, perhaps not even in their own districts, is a 
crime committed by those who hold back the truth and 
teach what is not so. But ignorance will admit when it 
sees it, but prejudice can never see it because it is worse 
than blind. 

By the time our ship was unloaded we all asked the 
captain for some money, ten shillings, but he gave us 
only five. Every one of the sailors before the mast, ex- 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

cept one, made up his mind to leave the ship, not on ac- 
count of the captain and officers, because there was no 
fault to find, but the Gaul way was a wet ship. Unless 
there was almost a calm, we had water on deck all the 
time. "We did not expect any more money from the cap- 
tain until a day before the ship was ready to start for 
home. 

It took but a few days, when one morning the Ham- 
burger, the Austrian and the Portuguese were missing 
and all that belonged to them. They left in the night 
and with the help of an old sailor who owned a sloop by 
which he made a living sailing a few miles up and down 
the river to places where he gathered kindling wood, 
which he sold to the people of Port Adelaide, and on cer- 
tain days taking a few passengers to the ocean beach. 

Now, in order not to run into a trap, the Finlander 
the Swede, the Spaniard, the Greek and the Hollander 
had to be very careful to manage to get away with all 
their clothing and not be seen. But to cut a long story 
short, we hired a little dinkey and on a Sunday when 
everybody else went on shore we managed to get our dry- 
goods on board the little sloop with the understanding to 
come on board at a certain time at night, at an appointed 
place about a half mile outside the city. On the evening 
of the next day the five of us left the ship and arrived 
at the appointed time to step on board the sloop and be 
off down the river. In the latter part of the night we 
arrived at the place where our friend, the Portuguese, 
steared his little vessel into a narrow inlet and waited 
until after breakfast, when we all helped to load his 
boat. 

When the time came for us to go, each of us took a 
blanket and a shift or two, leaving the rest with our 
friend for safe keeping. Then he showed us the direction 

10fl 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

in which it was best to travel, and with a good hand- 
shake and best wishes to the Old Salt, we started on 
our tramp. 

WORKS AS A LABORER ASHORE 

As soon as we came out of the little strip of woodland, 
we walked into an open countiw without a dwelling, tree 
or shrub to be seen anywhere, except to the right where 
the railroad cars ran from Port Adelaid to the city ten 
miles up in the country, where it branches off into the 
interior. 

We must have walked about a half hour when we 
came to a creek, quite deep and about half full of water 
and at least six feet wide. As the land was rather 
swampy it required quite an effort to jump across it, but 
rather than walk a mile or more to get around it, we 
jumped it. My comrades all got there with very little 
to spare, but I wasn't so fortunate. I landed just on the 
edge of the other side of the creek and slipped half way 
down into the water, and of course they had a good laugh 
on me. But as the weather was warm I didn't mind it. 

By the time we got to the country road the ground be- 
came more solid. The main road on which we traveled 
started from the city and ran into the country. We 
walked until about noon, when we came to a fork in the 
road. There we rested. Up to this time we had passed 
but one farm house. A distance ahead of us we could see 
another habitation. 

But what were we going to do. There were five of 
us. We talked it over and everyone came to the con- 
clusion that in a country so thinly settled and houses so 
few and far between, it would be far better for two to 
travel by themselves on one of the two roads, one lead- 

101 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

ing more into the country, the other shifting its course, 
leading to a little place on the coast where they, as we 
were told, were building a harbor for shipping. We all 
agreed on most anything we talked about, but there was, 
nevertheless, a debate about Dutchy. 

As there were five of us and they couldn't very well 
cut me in two halves, and as the kinship of the Spaniard 
and the Greek was closer to their hearts, as well as the 
feelings of the Swede and Finlander were closer to their 
shipmate who hailed from the land of dykes and said 
" Ja" for yes, it was agreed unanimously that I should 
stay with the latter. Our two shipmates should take the 
road to our left which would take them to a settlement 
on the coast where they were building (as I have stated) 
a new harbor. 

Loading our pipes once more, our conversation chang- 
ed from the ordinary to the sentimental. Each one had 
something to tell about where he came from, his strug- 
gles, hardships and suffering. They were all deep water 
sailors; they didn't care where they went. If they had 
any prejudice before they went out into the wide world, 
it gradually left them. The experience they got from 
coming in contact with peoples of many nations was 
that they learned they are about all alike as soon as they 
understand each other. 

Differences in the conditions, habits and manners 
all depend upon the climate of the country. People liv- 
ing in a temperate clime could not very well live on food 
they use in the tropical countries. Far less could a 
tropical man travel through the United States in the 
winter with a few yards of calico covering his skin and 
living on nothing else but tropical diet. A great deal 
could be said about the subject of prejudice, but as it is 

102 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

not the intention to drift off too far from the writer's 
own true story, I leave it to the reader to think it out. 

When we were about ready to start on our tramp 
again the tobacco and what little money we had was di- 
vided up between us. We then shook hands and with 
good wishes and a good-bye we started after our ship- 
mates were almost out of sight. 

We kept traveling on the same road. We hadn't 
walked more than about two miles when we stopped at 
a place well worth having. Several rods off from the 
road stood a large frame building, well painted, with 
flower beds and shrubbery beautifully laid out around the 
dwelling. A barn stood quite a distance from the house 
and not far from a charming piece of woodland. An 
evergreen hedge extended from one side of the house 
to within a few feet of the road. But the most inspiring 
part of that little paradise, so to speak, was a grove of 
tall trees, and as near as I can remember, two acres of 
ground, several rods on the opposite from the house, 
with a road running from the main road to the woods. 
Not one of us had seen such tall trees and I never have 
seen anything like them since. By far the biggest trees 
are found to be in California, but the tallest trees in the 
world, as it has been stated, are found in Australia. 

There was not a tree in that grove to which we paid 
much attention that the body was less than one hundred 
and fifty feet high; we all agreed to that. They looked as 
straight as a lamp post. The bodies were big. They 
were the most stately trees we had ever seen. The 
ground under them was as clean as the road. 

As there were no dwellings to be seen on our left from 
the time we started our tramp, with no vegetation worth 
mention, and on our right it wasn't much better, being 

103 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 



so isolated from their nearest neighbor, the good people 
that lived there no doubt felt as happy and contented as 
the Arab that lives on an oasis in a desert. 

While we were chatting about the place and walking 
close up to the hedge, the others sat down on the grass, 
while I started to walk up to the house, when presto, 
a young man, well dressed, came out to meet me half 
way. I asked him if we could get a drink of water. 

Oh, yes! But would you not drink tea instead of 
water !" 

"Yes, sir," I answered. 

1 i Could you eat a lunch ? ' ' 

"Yes," I nodded. 

With a smile on his lips he said, "Sit down with your 
comrades and I will bring you something." 

It wasn't very long when he came with a large platter 
on which were cups and saucers with tea and a nice lunch. 
And it goes without saying that we went at it in good 
shape. He left us to ourselves until we were through 
with our lunch when he came back and began to talk with 
us. Among other things he was talking about his trip he 
made to Old England, the experiences he had on the ocean 
and the good time he had in the native land of his pa- 
rents. 

After asking us many questions we started with the 
good advice that with a brisk gait we could reach a little 
settlement where we might get a place to lay down inside 
of a barn or house instead of outside. Thanking him for 
his kindness, we started out with renewed strength and 
reached the turn of the road where a little settlement 
started. 

104 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

By that time the sun was setting and the three of ns 
were about tired out. We longed for a rest whether it 
was in or out doors. 

At our right where the road turned, stood a church, 
a frame building, well painted. Opposite the church on 
our left stood an old wooden house, with a hay stack 
about ten rods from the building. Within hailing dis- 
tance there were two more buildings, one on each side. 

The country by this time began to look more encour- 
aging to travelers. The reason for this was that the 
further from the coast the better the soil became for 
vegetation. 

As we were about to make up our minds to walk up 
to the next house, where we could see a little barn in one 
corner of a picket fence surrounding the house, Antone, 
the Greek, thought why not take a good sleep against the 
haystack, to which we all agreed. Walking up to the lit- 
tle house, an oldish man with a long, gray beard asked 
me what I wanted, but before I had finished the word 
permission, he stammered out, "I don't allow any 
strangers on my premises." 

Without a word of comment we walked up to the next 
house on our left. The building stood in the center of 
an acre or more of ground, with a fence on all sides and 
a little red barn in one corner I have mentioned. Leaving 
my two shipmates standing in the road, I opened the 
gate and walked up to the house. When almost up to 
the door a tall man with also a grey beard, came out, I 
asked him if he would be so kind as to let us sleep on the 
grass inside of the gate. 

"Are you a German?" 

"No sir, I hail from Holland." 

101 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

"Well that makes no difference. Are those your 
comrades V 1 

"Yes, sir," I answered. 

"Tell them to come in." 

As I waved my hand they came along with smiles 
on their faces. When they got near the honse the Old 
Gent told us to walk right in and take a seat. After 
asking a few questions about where we were from and 
where we were going, and so on, he asked us if we had 
had our supper. We told him no, but we weren't very 
hungry. 

' ' Well, I will get you something to eat. ' ' 

Looking around the room we found it was very large, 
but rather vacant as regards furniture. A large table 
and a few chairs comprised the outfit. The four walls 
were decorated with frames filled with all kinds of in- 
sects from different parts of the world. None of us had 
any knowledge of the never ending numbers of the in- 
sect creation with the exception of the tormented flies, 
mosquitoes and the stinging bee family of which all three 
of us had some experience, being stung while we were 
looking for honey. 

After a few minutes ' waiting, an old lady came in 
with a home made loaf of bread, as big as a peck measure, 
on a large platter. Then she went back and brought us 
some tea and jam. Trying to do our mighty best to 
please the good old soul (as he came back in and took a 
chair) we showed the full force of our appreciaton by 
almost finishing the whole loaf and all of the jam. 

The reader will have no doubt that the old man liked 
our company when I state that he kept the pleasant con- 
versation between us up until late in the night. 

10G 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

Taking us to the little barn we found in one corner a 
heap of cliaf with a number of bags. 

"Now," he said, "you can use them under you and go 
to sleep." By the time he came back with the lantern 
we were sound asleep. 

At about 7 o'clock he roused us out to get ready for 
breakfast. As we crawled out of our soft bed he laughed 
to his heart's content. We were covered with chaff from 
top to bottom. Picking up an old broom our friend 
scrubbed us off. Then we washed ourselves and went to 
breakfast. 

While we were eating he asked us if we stopped at the 
house across the road from the church. 

"Oh yes, sir," we answered. And then I told him 
what answer I got. He grinned and told us that the man 
with the long beard was the preacher of the church on the 
corner. 

As soon as we were through breakfast we loaded 
our pipes and left the house. The good man took us to 
the road and then told us that we could easily reach a 
township by the name of Temples before they quit work- 
ing. He had no doubt but what we could get work there. 
They were making a new road there and the hay season 
was near by, and the wheat harvest next. There would 
be plenty of work. Then we shook hands and once more 
we started. 

We passed several habitations and the nearer we got 
to our destination the more land was taken up but the 
dwellings were far apart. As near as I can remember, 
we arrived at the inn between 4 and 5 o'clock. We walked 
into a large room with no one inside. 

A long, soft-wood table and a half dozen chairs of the 
same material were all there was to be seen in the 

107 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

room, but everything was as clean as the broom and 
scrubbing could make it. 

Out doors it seemed as if the little neighborhood with 
its half dozen or more dwellings was left to take care 
of itself, for there was not a human being in sight. It 
wasn't very long, however^ when a man came out of the 
further end of the inn, coming toward us. 

Seeing that we were strangers, he began to address 
us saying, " Hello, three more new chums. Looking for 
work?" 

" Yes, sir," one of us answered. 

"It won't be long before some of the neighbors come 
along from their work and stop here. ' ' 

He kept on talking until some young men came from 
their work. They walked right into the room we went 
out of. One of them called us in, shook hands, and at 
the same time ordered three schupers of ale. It seemed 
that he and all that came in from their work were glad 
whenever some new chums came along and wanted work. 

The one who treated us told us to stay over night, 
that we could sleep on top of the table and use our knap- 
sacks for pillows, and he would make it right with the 
proprietor. He told us also that his next neighbor, a 
farmer, wanted some men to work in the woods. He 
would tell him to come down to see us in the morning. 
Then he shook hands and started for home. When time 
came to lock up we took charge of the table and went to 
sleep. 

In the forenoon of the next day the farmer came 
along and hired the three of us. My two shipmates made 
a bargain to clear an acre of woodland for a certain 
amount of money and their board. As for me, I had to 

108 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 



do the chores and go along with him to work on the road. 
My wages would be ten shillings per week besides my 
board. 

His farm was mostly woodland. The largest trees 
were cut down years ago. He had two oxen, one horse 
and a kangaroo dog. The latter, so far as we could make 
out, had to hunt most of the time for his own living. 

The farmer and his wife seemed to be very pious. At 
every meal they said their prayers, and went down on 
their knees before bedtime. 

The first morning he called me at the first glimmer of 
day. As soon as I was ready he handed me a scythe to 
cut down enough feed for the oxen and the horse to last 
the day. As there was a patch of green feed about two 
feet high a few rods from the house, I didn't have to 
work very hard to be ready for breakfast. After break- 
fast our boss went out with my shipmates to the place 
where they had to work. He wasn't very long coming 
back. He put the yokes on the oxen and saddled and 
bridled the horse. He then went to the house, got our 
dinners, and handed them to me to carry. The dog 
walked behind the oxen, the boss behind the dog and T 
behind him with our dinners, one in each hand. On each 
side of the narrow road the woods were comparatively 
dense. As we passed along, I noticed a few shanties 
here and there with narrow walks up in the woods, com- 
ing out again from another direction, and no house to 
be seen. Coming out into a clearing we were within a 
short distance of the main road and not far from where 
they were working. 

Arriving at the spot my boss took his dinner, then 
set me to work with a young married man, digging out 
some kind of limestone that was hidden about two or 
three inches below the surface of the soil. There were 

109 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

four other men starting to load up two of the three 
wagons that stood around waiting to be drawn away for 
the new road which was quite a distance off. As I wasn't 
very far behind as to how to handle a spade or some 
other farming tools, I got along fairly well with my 
newly made friend, Joe. 

About a half hour before quitting time my boss un- 
hitched and started for home, telling me to stay until they 
all stopped working and not get lost. By the time we 
dropped our tools Joe and I were talking and while do- 
ing so, I forgot all about the darkness that was coming 
upon us. Thus, by the time I got into the woods, with 
my mind on something else, instead of thinking where I 
was going, I had walked quite a way into the woods when 
I stopped. As I didn't see any lights, I found I was on 
the wrong track. Turning around I started back until I 
got into the same road (as I thought) that I came in 
when I started for home. 

But as I wasn't sure of walking up to the house or 
away from it, I made up my mind to keep right on with 
the intention to stick to the road till daylight, if I didn't 
find the house. With this intention I slackened clown, 
took it easy and kept my eyes open as I passed along, 
when presto, I saw the glimmer of a light not far in the 
woods a little way ahead of me. I put a little more steam 
into my legs and in a lew minutes I noticed the same 
path leading up to the shanty that I did going to work in 
the morning. I began to feel a little more like myself, 
not that I had any superstitions thoughts in my head 
that would make me think of spooks, not much. 

But when one gets lost and wanders through the woods 
in the darkness of the night, in a strange land, with 
sounds from above and below so dolesome as to make one 
feel not very pleasant in his bewildered moods, not know- 

110 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

ing where he is at. For that reason, I went up to the 
shanty to make sure I was on the right track. To my sat- 
isfaction I was told I was walking straight for home. 
This making me feel more pleasant, I took my time. I 
filled my pipe and with the advice that nothing would 
harm me, I started for home. 

When I arrived it was almost 11 o'clock. The boss 
and the old lady were in bed. My shipmates didn 't know 
what to make of it and were mighty glad when they heard 
me coming. 

While I was working with my newly made friend he 
told me that the work we were doing wouldn't last much 
longer, and as he didn't expect me to stay with my boss 
any longer than I could help it (unless I was the first one 
that would stay until his work was done) I could work 
with him. 

I hadn't worked many days when my pious boss be- 
gan to find fault with me although I tried hard to please 
him. I stayed a few days longer and left him. Shaking 
hands with a "So long boys, till next Sunday" (to my 
shipmates) I picked up my bundle and started out to go 
to my friend, Joe. 

I wasn't very far when I happened to look around 
and to my surprise there was the poor dog less than a 
rod behind me. That my sympathy was with the dog 1 
hope the reader will not doubt. As I didn't care to take 
him back home, and the poor creature looked at me with 
an expression almost human (when I picked up some 
loose dirt to throw at him) as if he wanted to say, "I 
don't like to go home any more. I want to stay with 
you." I could not make him go back. Without doing 
the animal any harm, I let him come along, and let his 
master come after him, which he did a week after when 
he came to pay me. 

1 1 1 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

I worked for Joe (as near as I can remember) about 
two weeks, and a few days for another farmer, grubbing 
out stumps that were almost in the road. By this time 
the wheat harvest was about to commence. This was 
in the latter part of December, 1865. 

There was a farmer a mile or more away from where 
my friend Joe lived. This farmer had as much land as 
any half dozen good farms, with several substantial build- 
ings well stocked with cattle and horses. Wheat and hay 
were his main crops, and a large field for pasture. It 
was to this farmer that my friend, Antone, the Greek, 
and I hired out by the day. Our shipmate, the Span- 
iard hired out to a man who came from up the country, 
quite a distance from our neighborhood. I have no doubt 
that he never went sailing again, for it was his intention 
not to as soon as he was fairly settled. 

How many acres of wheat there were to be cut I do not 
remember. The farmer kept us busy for a few days 
helping do chores and getting everything ready for the 
wheat harvest. There were two reapers and one fanning 
mill. Those reapers cut off the heads and threshed it 
at the same time, ready to put it through the fanning 
mill. While two kept the fanning mill going others filled 
the bags and put them on the wagon. 

After dinner we had to carry them on our backs into 
a brick built storehouse, ready for the mill. As the 
weather was about the same every day, hot and dry, it 
took the sweat out of me as it never did before with the 
exception of when I was grubbing stumps. But as we 
were well fed and well used, I stood it all right. 

After the wheat was done with our boss kept us busy 
doing all around work for several days, but before the 
work was all done my shipmate talked about going back 
to Port Adelaide. 

lit 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

He wanted me to go with him and try to be shipmates 
again, but as my friend Joe, to whom I made a visit every 
Sunday, wanted me to come back again after harvesting 
to help him on a job in the woods, 1 could not very well 
go back on my promise to assist him. My shipmate gave 
notice to the landlord that he wanted to go to Port Ade- 
laide and go sailing again. 

' 'All right, sir, and if you ever come around again, 
gie us a call. If we want help we will set you to work.'' 

lie prepared himself to be ready in the morning to 
start out on his tramp back to the harbor. After break- 
fast the next morning, he threw his pack on his shoul- 
der and shook hands with everyone that was around. 

Walking along with him until we were almost out 
of sight of the place, we shook hands with the hope that 
we might meet again. Looking back now and then until 
I lost sight of him, as I walked back, I began to feel 
sorry that I didn't go back with my friend. I felt as if 
I was alone and doomed to spend a life of sorrow and 
sadness, misery and want. With a change (between 
time) of better feelings and happier moods, to stave off, 
as it were, the end of the struggle, and let one out of 
a group, struggle on until he or she becomes old and 
stiff and tell the tale. 

The landlord kept me working until I longed to go 
back to my friend Joe, and soon be on my way for 
Homraer bound, with new resolutions. After a week or 
more I told my friend that I wanted to go back, but as 
he took a liking to me he tried to have me stay. 

But the never ending thoughts of my poor wandering 
brother and the dear girl forced me from staying any- 
where, no matter how well I liked to. The people in that 
part of the country were, on the average, very sociable 
and broad minded. It made no difference where one 

U3 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 



came from, there was no race hatred. Hence there was 
no such thing as an undesirable citizen unless he proved 
to be so. No matter who came along, they were all new 
chums.. 

A KANGAROO HUNT 

Two days before I left, Joe asked me if I would go on 
a kangaroo hunt. I told him I had never pulled a trigger 
in my life. 

" Never mind about that, I have an old ritle you can 
use. I will load it for you." 

The next day after breakfast we started for the same 
woods where I almost got lost in the dark night. As 
soon as we entered the woods from a different direction 
from where I went through, he told me to ha^e my eyes 
centered towards the ground and the lower part of the 
body of the trees. 

"A kangaroo,' ' he stated, "when he is not on the 
jump, if you come across him, you will always find him 
sitting under a low tree close to the stump, with his 
head erect, in a position ready for a jump." 

Tramping through the woods here and there with no 
prospect of coming across any game, we came to a spot 
where the underbrush was so dense as to make it difficult 
to walk through it. The trees inside were thinly scat- 
tered. About a rod on the outside of the jungle, if I may 
so call it, stood a low tree with thick foliage. We came 
along within about fifteen rods of this tree straining our 
eyes to the size of a pair of goggles, when to my sur- 
prise (and somewhat excited) there stood a kangaroo in 
the same position as Joe had descrbed it to me. With one 
whisper, and quicker than I can tell it we both fired, 
but with one jump that strange and wonderful animal 
was out of sight into the thickness of the brush. 

114 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

Walking up to the tree we found one shot struck the 
tree close in range with the brute's head. As for rne, 
I don't think that my shot got any nearer than three or 
four feet from the tree. Nevertheless, the pleasure and 
experience I got out of it was well worth the effort if not 
hitting the big game, the largest of his kind so near our 
grasp. "With the exception of a baby kangaroo, which 
my friend didn't want to shoot at, it was all we came 
across. 

Thus, having spent the last day with my good-hearted 
friend, I started out very early on the road to Poht Ade- 
laide. I made one stop on the roadside, eating my lunch 
with some tea. The latter was the only drink used, in- 
stead of coffee and water at mealtimes. In all that time 
while I was there, I didn't taste a drop of coffee because 
no one used it. It was all tea. Even between meals, cold 
tea was preferred to rain water. The water in 
the deep wells they had dug was very brackish, hence 
their reservoirs underground, but further in the country, 
I was told, they found good water. 

But I must go traveling over the same road again in 
my mind and try not to make the reader tired, but keep 
on tramping. As I was traveling along at a steady gait, 
with my mind busy thinking of the ups and downs and 
forgetting all about the surroundings, when all of a sud- 
den I heard a noise coming up behind me, and as I turned 
around a drove of horses came galloping along not far 
behind me, throwing the dust in all directions. As they 
passed, I made out that there were three drivers, two 
behind and one in front. Occasionally they would let out 
a whoop like so many wild Indians. 

After this little disturbance on that lonely tramp on 
the road, with no one to talk to, I began to wake up from 

116 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

my melancholy dream (so to speak) and felt more recon- 
ciled with thoughts that things might turn out all right 
some day. 

By the time I arrived at the city of Adelaide between 
7 and 8 o'clock, I was very tired. After staying over 
night I took the first train in the morning and went to 
the port. Arriving at the depot, I made for the boarding 
house where I left part of my sailor's outfit. Inquiring 
about my shipmates I learned that the Greek went to 
Sydney, but the Swede and the Pinlander they had not 
heard from. 

In the afternoon I went to the pier. Every one of the 
four vessels that were there had their full crews. One 
was a German bark bound for Sydney. I went on board 
and asked the mate if he thought the captain would let 
me work out the passage to Sydney. 

"I think so," he said. 

He went down to the cabin and in a few minutes he 
came back with the good news that I should be on board 
by night, as they were getting ready to set sail early in 
the morning. Without lingering around I went back to 
get my donnage and brought them on board. 



m 



CHAPTER X. 

RESUMED THE LIFE OF A SAILOR 

Setting sail early in the morning, nothing happened 
outside the ordinary doings of the day on board ship, 
and after a pleasant passage we steered into the most 
beautiful and spacious locked-in harbor there is in the 
world. As soon as we were along side the pier, and the 
deck cleared up I left the ship and soon found myself in a 
boarding house. 

The landlord was a German, his wife Irish. They 
seemed to live happily together, and honesty with those 
two people toward the sailors that came there, whether 
one had money or not, was a mark in their character 
and of their makeup, very uncommon with at least ninety 
per cent, of the sailors' boarding house sharks on the 
other end of the world. 

As the boarding master wasn't in when I came, one 
of the few sailors that were playing cards took me to 
the matron and went back to his pla} r mates. A skin a: if 
she had room enough for another boarder she said, "We 
have one room with two beds; one man sleeps in one, but 
no one will sleep with him because he is a free thinker. 
They don't like him because he is an unbeliever. If it 
wasn't for that," she said, "we would have had one 
sleeping in the room before now. He is a queer man, but 
a good boarder. I wish they could all pay as prompt as 
he. He has been here three weeks; he pays me every 
week in advance." 

She then told me that if I didn't mind sleeping in the 
room with that man I could do so. If his unbelief was 

117 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 



all the excuse for not wanting to sleep with the old tar, 
I was glad they left it vacant for me to come in. She 
smiled and showed me the room. 

Coming down stairs I went outside, took a chair next 
to the very man with whom no one of the boarders would 
have anything to do. In those days when an English 
ship was about to sail, or coming in from a voyage, no 
matter what port, nine chances to one, some one of the 
Missionary Society would come on board to distribute 
religious literature to the sailors and say prayers, and 
between time make visits to sailors' boarding houses. 

I hadn't been seated very long when I got into con- 
versation with this peculiar old salt. It didn't take me 
long to learn that he had forgotten more than I knew, 
that he liked to smoke his pipe in peace and mind his own 
business, and the more I became acquainted with him 
the more I liked to hear him talk. 

He was one of a few in his class that carried no race 
hatred with him; he was a broad minded man of an age 
between 45 and 50 years. He started out to become a 
sailor a few years before he reached the age of young 
manhood, but there was something the matter with him, 
which most people didn't like, especially such people as 
like to spend their lives in idleness and live by the sweat 
of some other people's brows. What was it? It was 
simply this ; he was tired and disgusted with civilization, 
which he thought was only a boast. He told me that he 
was waiting for a ship that was going to one of the Kan- 
acker Islands, where he had lived for more than a year, 
and then went sailing again. But now while he had pass- 
ed the meridian of his life and no more friends to look 
for, he made up his mind to spend the rest of his days 
among the natives in peace, among a people whose hon- 
esty and contentment and an even mind wsts the order 

11:3 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

of the day, but they were not civilized. He didn't drink, 
but was very fond of smoking his pipe. He had a large 
trunk and a sailor's bag well filled with clothing and 
other things, and undoubtedly some money. 

After a week or so I shipped in a schooner on a little 
trip up the coast for a load of coal. In less than a 
week we were back. The old sailor was still there, but 
the ship he was waiting for would be ready in a few days. 
I waited for a chance to make a long trip, and that chance 
came after a week or more, in a large brig bound for 
Fremantle, West Australia, and from there to British 
India. This promised to be a long trip, more so because 
she was such a slow going craft, but what she lacked in 
speed she made up in comfort in bad weather for the 
sailors. "With two days of a heavy storm, not a wave 
splashed over the sides big enough to mention, so we all 
made up our minds that if we did go slow and had noth- 
ing to complain of, we could get along nicely, but when 
we arrived at Fremantle and unloaded our cargo; took 
in a cargo of sandalwood, and after about three weeks 
when the time came to start out for India, we soon found 
out that we were deceived. 

When the shipping master read the articles to us, they 
stated among other things, that our trip should be from 
Fremantle to India, and as it often happens when a 
ship goes to a foreign country, but not sure to what place 
the cargo was assigned, they lay too or let go anchor at 
some little town and get their orders, hence the reason 
why it didn't state what plac^ in India we had to go to. 

But all this cut no figure, when we began to know 
that we were stearing for a place by the name 
of Caroldin, about 200 miles from Fremantle, to take on 
a deck load of horses, as this wasn't stated in the ship's 
articles, I had the right to leave the ship and demand my 

119 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 



pay if there was any coming to me. None of the crew 
liked it very well, but they all made up their mind to 
stay except myself. The captain tried to make me stay, 
but I would not listen. He paid me off without an angry 
word. 

As luck would have it, a little coaster sailing between 
Caroldin and Pert, the latter situated a few miles up 
from the mouth of the river, and Fremantle, it 
didn't take me long to board the little craft that was load- 
ed with a cargo of wheat and was ready to sail the next 
day, and ask the captain if he wanted a man. 

"Yes," he said, "there are only three of us." 

After shifting my things over to my new quarters I 
went on shore. I found out that I was fortunate not to 
be left on shore for there was nothing for me to do in 
the village. As I wondered why I didn't see a man on 
the street, I soon found out, when I came on board the 
coaster, that the men all worked in the lead mines some 
distance away, up in the country. I remember well 
that on the same evening of the time I speak of, a num- 
ber of old and young ladies dressed in white came down 
to the beach to take a look across the endless sweep of 
the nrghty waters and see the sun disappear below the 
horizon. 

Early in the morning — it was then Sunday — we set 
sail with the wind fair and a good breeze to start with, 
but as there was a reef quite a distance from the shore, 
running parallel with the coast from Fremantle to Ger- 
alton, with only three narrow channels just about deep 
and wide enough for a small vessel to pass through, it 
didn't require a great deal more wind to put us in a 
very unpleasant predicament if the wind should happen 
to shift. 

120 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 



FORCED TO SEEK SHELTER 

Making headway at a remarkable gait with a steady 
wind, the captain began to think he was making the 
quickest passage since he sailed the sloop, but we all 
were disappointed. In the latter part of the afternoon 
the wind was gradually shifting, which, if it 
should shift more ahead, would drive us onto the reefs. 
By this time we h- passed one of the three channels 
and also two litti .slands which lay between the reef 
and the shore. As the waves began to spit water on the 
little deck and the bow of the sloop began to dip her nose 
into the water, the captain made up his mind to sail into 
the next channel which was not far off. It was fortunate 
for us that he did so, although the one nearer to our 
destination was more safe. As the captain knew every 
dangerous spot he took the helm at the time when we 
were almost abreast of the channel, then quickly reversed 
it, then with the wind smack behind us he steered straight 
for the channel while the mate and my shipmate and I 
stood by for any emergencies. It was very fortunate 
for us that we slipped through and dropped our little 
anchor not more than about ten rods from the channel, 
behind a little island whose sloping base on the windward 
side bounded on the reef. We took more than the or- 
dinary comfort sailors enjoy when they are forced to 
lay at anchor behind some shelter until the storm is over. 
It was a close call for us, but we were as safe as a baby 
in a cradle. 

There was, however, something our captain had not 
reckoned for. With a fair wind and a stiff breeze, we 
could have reached Fremantle in about 24 hours, but as 
it happened the elements kept up their fury, and as 
there wasn't more than about two days' provisions on 
our little craft, we were fortunate as our little cargo of 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

wheat saved us from starving, while we were hoping for 
a favorable change in the weather, which came at last. 

Taking a survey of the little island we soon found 
out that there was a little thin fungy and a few holes 
here and there, the latter plainly showing that the sea 
fowls nested there, although there were none to be seen 
while we were there. As there wasn't the least indica- 
tion by the looks of things all around for the wind to 
slack down to normal, we walked to the side of the reef 
and sat down several feet from each other, and satisfied 
ourselves with looking across the mighty sweep of the 
ocean, and watching the thundering and foaming waves 
as they came along with their mighty force, dashing 
against the rocks of the little isle. 

After about an hour or more we left the island, pulled 
up our anchor and set sail for the* shore, which was at 
least a quarter of a mile from the reef. Within a suit- 
able distance from the beach we dropped anchor, and 
after dinner, which was very inviting, we all went into 
the boat and got on shore. As our water supply in the 
little barrel was getting low we took a pail along to 
find out if there was such a thing as fresh water to be 
gotten on shore a distance up in the country. The cap- 
tain and the mate went up the coast and my shipmate 
and I went down. We hadn't walked very far when we 
started up in the country with our pail and dapper. Just 
as we turned to our right my shipmate called my atten- 
tion to a spot, straight ahead of us, that looked like a 
stream of water, not very far off. It took us but a few 
nrnutes as we walked along to make out that there was 
a little stream of some kind of sparkling TNater, which 
made us so glad we could not refrain from shouting 
hurrah, believing it to be fresh water, but we were sore- 
ly disappointed. 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 



Not being more than half a mile from the beach wfc 
soon made out that we were walking up to a little lake. 
Finally reaching the edge of the stream, which was level 
with the land, we dipped our hands into that clear, crys- 
tal looking liquid and took a hasty swallow, then Oh, my! 
I thought my poor shipmate was going to vomit every- 
thing out of his stomach that was within him, but got 
off with two or three swats he threw out. I was more 
fortunate for as soon as I got it in my mouth and wanted 
to throw it out, in my haste in some way it got into my 
nose, which made me sneeze and splur in a way such as I 
never had experienced before. If the water had been 
like the water in the ocean, it wouldn't have mattered so 
much, but the former was as salty as the brine in a pork 
barrel. 

Taking a walk around the shore of this strange body 
of salt water, we made out that the circumference wasn't 
more than a quarter of a mile. For want of a better 
name we called it "Little Salt Lake." 

With no visible source from which the water came, 
and no outlet to be seen anywhere, it didn't require a 
great deal of knowledge to come to the conclusion that 
the salt water which formed the little lake had its source 
from a subterranean passage from the ocean. But as 
there was no way for us to get an idea as to how deep 
that big hole of salt water might be, we began to talk 
of taking a swim, and at the same time finding out how 
far one could walk before he could not touch oottom any 
longer, and had to swim to go any further. 

"All right, Elk," I said to my shipmate, and in less 
time than I can describe it, I threw off my clothing 
and slowly waded in, but my shipmate looked as if he 
didn't have much of a desire to dip into such ice cold 
water after his experience of drinking it. Of course, 

m 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

there are always some people, no matter where one goes, 
to advise and to spur others to do things which they 
don't like to do themselves. Such people generally, when 
the opportunity is favorable, take their place be- 
hind the royal standbacks. But as we were only two 
young men of the common herd and no royalty in sight, 
I forgave him, as it was well for him to stay out, for I 
hadn't walked in any farther than six or seven feet, 
when the water was up to my neck and I was standing 
on my toes just touching the bottom. As it was as cold 
as ice, I swam back and got out with the satisfaction of 
believing that I was the only person that ever had a 
swim in that strange reservoir of nature. 

Turning back in the same direction from where we 
first started when we landed, we stopped a few times 
digging holes in the soft and moist sandy soil, but what- 
ever water we found in the most likely places was all 
brackish. We made up our minds that there was no such 
thing as fresh water to be found on that long stretch of 
wet, soft, sandy soil covered with a thin layer of fungi 
and a low growth of brush-like vegetation here and there 
a few inches high, as near as I can remember. 

As the wind was blowing from the same direction but 
not so fierce, it seemed as if the captain and the so-called 
mate were very much interested in exploring a part of 
the coast. Before we met them we passed what I may 
call a sand dune some three or four rods long. Not very 
far away from here we came across the remains of an 
ocean brute which seemed to be the back part of a full 
grown whale a few rods from the beach, no less than 
fifteen feet long, partly buried in the sand. As we were 
walking around it, with wonder, thinking about how 
manv years it had la^d there bleaching in the hot sun to 
a yellowish white, it was all a mystery to us. 

m 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

As we turned to meet the others, we saw them com- 
ing. We walked up to the sand dune and up to the top. 
As they came along they joined us. Standing with our 
backs to the ocean we took a sharp look into the country 
as far as the eye could reach. 

We could see the tops of the trees, but outside of that 
there was nothing to be seen, nothing interesting to at- 
tract the eye. 

Having satisfied ourselves with what we saw on our 
short exploring trip, we started for the boat and went 
on board. We pulled up anchor and sailed to the last 
gap in the reef which would take us nearer to Freman- 
tle. As the water of the channel inside of the reef, at 
no time, no matter how hard the wind might blow, would 
raise any higher, it made it easy enough to sail out into 
the open. 

With the wind on the beam, we made good progress, 
and had the good luck of catching a nice fish with a hook 
and line trailing behind the stern, weighing at least three 
to four pounds. This beautiful fish looked more like a 
dolphin than any other fish. It had the same scales, 
with its many beautiful hues when in the water. We 
sailed along far into the night and dropped anchor close 
to the little inlet. As we had to be very sparing with our 
drinking water and provisions we began to talk about 
what we were to do if the wind didn't change pretty 
soon, and the only conclusion we came to was to sail as 
far as we could, then drop anchor, run the boat on shore 
and walk the rest, which would be between forty and 
fifty miles. 

It wasn't very pleasant to use tea leaves and ground 
coffee — the former for chewing and the latter for smok- 
ing — we began to use at this time. If it wasn't for the 
fascinating wonders of the mighty deep, the life on board 

125 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

of a sailing ship without tobacco for the poor sailors 
would be a hardship, hence there is almost always enough 
of tobacco on board to last until the ship arrives in port. 
But like many other people, our captain knew one thing. 
He knew how to handle the sloop and knew all about the 
coast from one place to the other, and that was all he 
was thinking about with the exception of borrowing five 
dollars of me with the intention of never paying it back. 
It wasn't much, but as it was more than I had left, I 
felt the loss much more because I had started to save 
every dollar I could. But it proved to be a good lesson, 
as it saved me many other dollars. 

In the early morning on the second day from the time 
we dropped anchor near the reef, the wind had changed 
with a nice breeze blowing. This let us out and towards 
night we let go anchor within a half mile or more of 
the pier at Fremantle, between a little isle and the shore, 
almost level with the water, not very large and covered 
with a thick growth of vegetation with here and there a 
few trees. 

The captain and the mate took the boat and went 
on shore while Elk and 1 stayed on board waiting for 
them to come back with some provisions and tobacco. 
About an hour afterward they came back. After eating 
a hearty surnoor and taking a short smoke 10 wind up 
with, we went to sleep, and as we lay between the island 
and the shore, we were fully protected from any storm. 

In the morning after breakfast we sailed into the 
river. Swan Kiver was not very wide ; at that time there 
was but a narrow channel for several rods, a little ways 
in from the mouth, which made it very risky for the lit- 
tle coaster whenever there was a heavy sea rolling in. 
But after once past, there was no more danger from there 
up to Perth, for any such craft as our coaster, but the 
river wasn't deep enough for a good sized vessel. 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

On the west side of the river there were no habitations 
of any kind. The soil was thick with vegetation with 
here and there a tree. There were, however, two tents a 
little ways from each other near the banks. These tents 
were occupied in the day by convicts and their overseers. 
The former were closely guarded. They were there 
blasting the rocks out in the river, in order to make it 
safe for any small vessel to sail up to Perth, and I have 
no doubt but what they kept right on blasting to get 
clear of the rocks, and also to deepen the river and build 
a snug little harbor, which would allow coasters of 
larger capacity to go from the mouth of the river to the 
city of Perth, which was but a little city in those days, 
a few miles from Fremantle. 

As soon as we made fast to the little pier at Perth, 
they all stayed in the town except myself. I wanted to 
be in Fremantle for fear that I might miss a chance if 
some vessel should come in and drop anchor, where I 
could go on board to get away to a place where there 
was more shipping going on. But if all should fail before 
the sloop was ready to go back to Geraldon, I was to 
make another trip with her. 

Perth at that time was but a young town, but while 
it was young it was very favorably located. It nestled 
on a clearing between the woods and the river. The 
woods started a distance back of Fremantle, stretching 
away out into the country and up the coast, must have 
been a vast forest. 

I was told that there was a good road through those 
woods which was used mainly for the stage coach that 
plied between Fremantle and Port Lewen, a distance of 
150 nrlos or more, a shipping place between Fremantle 
and Adelaide. 

127 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

As soon as I got to Fremantle I looked for a board- 
ing house which I found. The place was occupied by the 
landlord, his wife and three ticket relief men. After 
three days I went back to Perth early in the morning. 
On the next day we sailed down the river with a cargo 
of bastard mahogany. With the wind fair and a strong 
breeze we calculated to arrive at Geraldon the next even- 
ing, but it seems that something unexpected had to hap- 
pen that was in my favor, for which I had to pay later 
on, not in money but in hardships and privation of some 
kind. 

As the captain was better acquainted with the danger- 
ous passage than any of the rest on board, it seemed 
rather strange to us that with everything in his favor 
as regards the weather, he should run onto the rocks. As 
there was no such thing as floating her off with her cargo 
inside, we took everything of our belongings on shore, 
and in order to keep her steady in case the wind should 
change with a hard blow, we fastened two ropes, one at 
the stern and the other at the bow. 

We camped there a few days a little distance from 
where the convicts were quartered during the day. The 
next day we found the vessel was leaking badly, and we 
had orders to take out the cargo and put it on the beach. 
After staying there a few days we got our pay that was 
clue us. Elk and I bivouaced another night. The next 
day we left and went to a boarding house. 

As soon as they got the vessel off" the rocks they took 
her back to Perth as there was more damage done than 
they expected. Being settled for the time, we were wait- 
ing for something to turn up, when to our surprise one 
evening a full rigged ship dropped anchor and we soon 
found out that she was an English convict ship with 

188 * 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

over 300 convicted prisoners to spend the remainder of 
their days in this isolated place. Many were Feinans 
who took part in the raid of Canada. 

It was on a Saturday night when they came in, and in 
the early hours of the forenoon on Sunday made ready to 
land them. As I was doing nothing I walked up at one 
side, to the foot of the bridge to see what was going on. 
A few rods from the bridge stood a guard house with two 
brass cannons, one facing the prisoners as they passed 
them on their left and the other pointing to a large stone 
building where the convicts are kept for a certain time 
and treated according to their behavior, when finally they 
get their freedom as far as the prison goes, but they 
cannot leave the place. They are well watched and kept 
inside the limits. At 9 o'clock one gun belched out, and 
every ticket relief man (as they are called) has to be 
indoors, and woe to the man who runs across the border. 
Not one per cent, got away that tried it. As they came 
along in two different ranks, dressed in short jackets, 
knee trousers, black stockings and low shoes, they march- 
ed five abreast with two guards to lead the procession, 
two at the rear and one at each side, who were prepared 
for action. 

If there was anything that struck me more forcibly 
than this during the days of my rambling, I do not re- 
member. Regardless of the clean dressed looking bodies 
with healthy looking faces stepping along like well train- 
ed soldiers, there was, nevertheless, the sadness printed 
on their faces that within them they could not hide. 

While my shipmate and I were still waiting for some 
ship to come along, and having but a few shillings 
left to pay our board, we talked it over one day, and 
made up our minds that in case we had to wait much 
longer, and the sloop wasn't ready to start on her trips 

109 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 



again, we would take the stage road that runs from Fre- 
mantle up to Perth Lewing, a hundred and fifty miles or 
more south, which is a shipping port a considerable dis- 
tance to the south of Cape Lewing, the latter deriving 
its name from the former. 

It wasn't very pleasant for a young man situated as 
I Was, to be locked up in a place, so to speak, without 
any means, and the never ending thought of my two dear- 
est friends, the only ones I had in the world. No matter 
how nice and kind the people were wherever I landed, 
and how bright the prospect may have looked, nothing 
could satisfy me to settle clown and give up a dog's 
life, for which I got paid in after years for knowing 
how to appreciate what is good, and stored up a little 
knowledge of the world. 

But dear reader, don't ever forget that what is go- 
ing to happen, happens, unless you know it, then you 
may stop it. And there is where we all are short in our 
knowledge. If I had known what was going to happen 
I would rather have waited longer until something would 
turn up a little better. 

My shipmate backed out when I was about ready to 
start. I divided my time between the boarding house 
and tramping along the beach, while Elk went back and 
forth between Perth and Fremantle. 

It wasn't more than a few days when a bark came in 
and dropped anchor. We soon learned that she came 
from Port Adelaide with a load of wheat bound for 
Liverpool, England. She was short handed, and got 
leaky in her sides above the water line. As there were 
no sailors looking for any chance to get away, we were 
very glad to get a chance for whatever wages the cap- 
tain, with the consent of the shipping master, might of- 

i:;o 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

fer. We had to wait until the ship was about ready to 
start on her trip. With my mind more easy, I waited 
patiently for several days. 

It was in those idle days that I became acquainted 
with one of three ticket relief convicts with whom I 
boarded in the same place. One night as we were walk- 
ing at the front of the house, and my shipmate and I had 
been notified to come to the office to ship and be ready 
to come on board, it seemed as if my poor friend with 
whom I had so many conversations after supper, kept his 
feelings to himself until then when he could not hold in 
any longer. He then with tears in his eyes spoke thus : 

"You are going on board tomorrow. I am sorry. 
Bless your heart young man, that you may live long and 
spend your last days in comfort and ease. I know you 
will think of me, the convict, banished for life, with no 
hopes of ever seeing my friends again, unless some one 
comes this way like a great many that have emigrated 
to the convict country." 

While he was thus talking, he all of a sudden walked 
up to the window, looked at his watch and said, "It 
lacks a few minutes more when the gun goes off and I 
have to be indoors.' ' When I first met this convict, I 
met him as I would any other neatly dressed person with 
the marks of intelligence stamped on his face, which 
made me feel, as I had more than once in the days of 
my ramble, somewhat inferior, and I respected them for 
their simplicity of manners. But convict or no convict, 
this man undoubtedly felt his awful punishment more 
than many of those that were banished for life. Before 
he went to rest that night he told me that he was trans- 
ported for embezzling while he was one of the clerks in 
a bank. And through good behavior, they got him a job 
as a clerk. 

i 3 1. 



CHAPTER XI 

AGAIN SHIPPED FOB ENGLAND 

The next day Elk and I were on hand and were 
very much surprised when the captain asked the ship- 
ping master what the wages were. "Four pounds.' ' 
The captain looked up and made the remark, "Four 
pounds, why in Adelaide the wages are three pounds 
and 10, with one month in advance/ ' That may be all 
right, captain, but Adelaide is not Fremantle." 

That we were tickled goes without saying, for as we 
were in debt for board and lodging, and not knowing how 
long we might have to wait before the sloop was ready 
to make her trips again and wait for another ship to 
come along, we would be satisfied with most any wages 
that were offered. 

At the appointed time on the next day we were at the 
pier and taken on board in one of the boats of the ship. 
It wasn't very long after we got on board when we learn- 
ed that a cabin passenger, a nephew and secretary of 
the Governor of West Australia, would come on board 
the next day in the forenoon, and if the wind was fair we 
would set sail after dinner. 

When eight bells struck we all went to dinner. There 
were six of us, all able seamen. The captain, the two 
mates and the cook made up the whole complement of a 
crew from the captain down. 

To start on a long home-bound trip on a deep laden 
big bark, wasn't very encouraging, say nothing about 
an insane passenger; also the captain's wife must have 
had a sad time of it in those almost three months of 
trouble. 

133 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

While we were eating dinner our conversation turned 
to our passenger and the sailing on Friday. One of the 
sailors, Jim or Jimmy by name, and three others, were 
hoping that the wind, which at that time began to in- 
crease, would keep right on and blow a gale to prevent 
the ship from sailing. As for the other shipmates and I, 
we didn't care. As for myself, whatever superstition I 
had in my mental makeup when I left the Orphan 
asylum, gradually got out of my head. And especially 
on one particular voyage when one day rats were seen 
leaving the ship, and it didn't sink, and as I had 
seen many a ship leaving the harbor on Friday and 
on more than one occasion my poor self was one of the 
crew, and everything went 0. K., I was cured of many 
of the superstitious ideas that caused me many sad 
hours when I first started out into the wide world and 
had to take my turn on the lookout. Oftimes in the very 
darkest of nights looking into the endless space which 
forced me to think and look back to the time my dear 
parents were on earth, if now, they were in hell or some 
where where they had to suffer the penalty for the sins 
they had inherited from Adam and Eve, and perhaps 
hadn't atoned enough to wipe out every sin of their 
forefathers, made me feel, on such occasions, so sad 
that the tears would slowly roll down my cheeks and 
then I prayed. 

What an ignorance for a dullard of a young man. 
But it seems that with all the experience a great many 
people go through, the greatest number never get any 
benefit from what they have seen and what nature is do- 
ing to teach them. All this is of no avail. They remain 
as superstitious, almost as ignorant as they were when 
children, while those who have to stay at home could teD 
them more than what they ever remembered. 

133 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 



And such was the case with those four shipmates of 
mine. While we were eating, Redheaded Jimmy did 
the most talking, telling us that he had a widowed mother 
and that he was the only child left to her, that she lived 
in Liverpool and that he hadn't seen his mother in ten 
years, and if nothing should happen, he would try to do 
better. 

He told us that he had written to his mother before 
he left Adelaide, and I remember well the words he spoke 
when he said, "As soon as we get into Liverpool and my 
poor mother is still alive, I will give her every cent that 
is coming to me, and sail on the coast and work for her." 

It is very easy for anyone to see that our unfortunate 
shipmate must have felt very sorry and uneasy as re- 
gards his mother whom he had for so many years neg- 
lected, and she the poor soul that was shedding tears 
in the silent hours of the night, hoping and praying that 
her dear boy might come some time and take her in his 
arms. 

How then she must have felt, if she was still living 
and received the letter while we were well on our way 
to our destination, and then, when she got the news that 
her son was no more, that he had lost his life at sea. ! 
what must have been the grief, sorrow and pain of that 
loving mother. 

AIL through the night and up to about noon the next 
day the wind kept blowing hard enough to cause the sea 
to raise high enough to say there was a sea on. We all 
were doing something getting ready to sail on that Fri- 
day which ended so sadly. Late in the forenoon a boat 
came along side with three men in it. One of the three 
was taken on board. The other two wasted no time and 
went right back. The baggage of our passenger was 

1-3 '4 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

brought on board a few days before. That this aris- 
tocratic secretary wasn't right most anyone could tell 
when he put his feet on the deck. 

He was a young man of about 30 years, short but 
thick set. At dinner the second mate came to the fore- 
castle and said, "Boys, he is crazy all right. The captain 
wants you to be very careful not to irritate him. Use 
your own judgment when he wants to speak to any of 
you. Now let us hope to have good luck. In about two 
hours we pull up anchor and start." So spoke the sec- 
ond mate. 

When the time came to start and all the sails were set, 
the mate and second mate picked out their watch. Jim, 
Elk and I were in the port watch. It was my turn at 
eight bells, 4 o'clock. It must have been past five when I 
rang the bell to be relieved for a few minutes. Jim came 
and took the helm. When I came back a little while af- 
ter, our passenger was walking up and down between 
the gangway of the forecastle and the bulwarks. I 
don't think it was more than 15 miutes after I took 
my place again at the helm when I noticed the passen- 
ger turning back with his head raised toward the stern, 
with a grin on his face and one finger pointed towards 
me, indicating as if he saw something. I turned my 
head and quicker than I can tell it, I shouted with all 
my might, "A man overboard! A man overboard!" 
I had hardly finished shouting when they all were run- 
ning for the small boat that was lashed on the roof of 
the forecastle, but unfortunately on account of the ex- 
citement in lowering her down she dropped on the deck, 
which made her unsafe, and by the time they got one of 
the two larger boats that were lashed tight on the main 
hatch overboard, it was dark. 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

The cook was way up in the rigging shouting to the 
men in the boat in what direction he saw him last. But 
alas! There was no hope from the time he fell over- 
board while he was doing something over the bow and 
slipped. He must have gone down before the men were 
on their way to try their best to save him. After the 
sails were set and everything on deck made snug, I was 
relieved from the helm to go below with Elk, my ship- 
mate, and go to sleep. 

The situation in which we were all placed was not very 
encouraging for anyone on board. With only five men 
left before the mast, the captain and two mates on a 
big bark, sailing homeward for a distance of between 
eleven and twelve thousand miles, what would hap- 
pen suppose any of the officers or crew got sick and 
we encountered fierce weather, say nothing about that 
insane passenger who made a lot of trouble and anx- 
iety for all of us. If we had had a full crew of ten able 
seamen instead of six when we started, we should have 
had as pleasant a voyage as sailors could expect. The 
weather was fine with fair winds most all the way up to a 
few days before we reached our destination. For the 
first time, we had all we could do to keep things straight 
up aloft and on deck under the pressure of a storm 
during 24 hours with no damage done. 

At noon of the next day when we were eating our din- 
ner, the mate came into our quarters asking for the be- 
longings of our lost shipmate, and if we had looked them 
over. We told him we had but didn't find a letter. 

"Well, get them together and if any of you want to buy 
anything of it you can have it. The rest I will take 
down to the cabin." 

To mention all that transpired as regards the con- 
duct of our aristocratic passenger until we got within 

1S6 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

a few thousand miles from where he was landed and 
taken care of, would be too much of a task for one who 
makes no pretention as a writer. Hence I will confine 
myself to a few statements regarding his devilish antics. 

At 8 o'clock A. M. of the next day when Elk and I re- 
lieved the starboard watch, I took my turn at the helm 
and my pardner made ready to wash the deck with the 
-mate and second mate to help him. As soon as Elk had 
filled a half dozen buckets with water, Mr. Doe, our 
passenger, as he was walking to and fro amidships 
with a grin on his face, walked up to the buckets and 
kicked them all over the deck, hitter skilter. This made 
the two officers so mad they went for him and with the 
help of my partner he was soon subdued, although he 
fought like a bulldog. 

One night a few days after, when Elk and I were 
asleep, he occupied the upper bunk and I the lower one, 
when all of a sudden I woke up with a feeling as if some- 
thing was crawling all over me from breast to feet. 
But presto, I raised myself up with a few expressions 
not very vulgar and not very polite, with a sound loud 
enough in our dark and cramped-up forecastle, to wake 
up even such a young man as my shipmate. And the 
first sentence that came out of his mouth was "What in 

h is the matter with you, Dutch!" "0, 'that crazy 

devil has laid all the shoes and boots on my body from 
my breast to my feet." T thought I had the nightmare, 
but as soon as I woke up and felt something moving I 
jumped up and saw the shadow of Mr. Doe going out on 
deck. 

In the morning after breakfast our gent came on deck 
with his cap and vest inside out. And as the weather was 
as good as we could wish for, it seemed as if the healthy 
atmosphere made him feel so well that he smiled instead 

in 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

of grinned as he walked the deck. For several days 
he behaved fairly well. And if I wanted to come into 
possession of a valuable library for nothing I could have 
gotten it if I had kept the books he put in my bunk on 
the shelf. When he had piled up about a half dozen, one 
a large volume of Shakespeare's, I talked to my ship- 
mate about it and he agreed with me to let the mate know 
it, and take them back to the cabin. 

The officers had to watch him and especially the cook, 
for he always lurked around the galley looking at what 
the cook was doing. Several times he threw one of his 
dry goods articles overboard until they were locked up. 

When after six or seven weeks, as near as I can re- 
member, Ave passed Cape of Good Hope, with fine weath- 
er and a strong breeze that drove us right into the south- 
east trade winds, something was going to happen on 
two occasions within a few days from the Equator. As 
we had two animals on board, a little dog and a cat, both 
nice little companions which I saw only once from the 
time we left Fremantle, it so happened that one day in 
the forenoon Pussy came on deck and walked to the 
lee side where it was cool. But unfortunately the friend- 
ly little creature walked right in the way where our 
country gent was walking. He picked her up by the 
tail and with his arm stretched out he threw the little 
pet as far as he could into the ocean. 

As there were but three of us on deck and we could 
not save the little pet, there was nothing said or done 
to disturb the peace. 

It was not long after we crossed the Equator, it so 
happened one day when the captain came on deck walk- 
ing to the lee side inhaling the gentle breeze under the 
shadow of the sails and with his elbow on the railing, 

1.38 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

and as our passenger never missed being on deck the 
greater part of the day and often late at night, he of 
course was right there with his hands in his pockets. 
Spying the captain, with a smile on his face, indicating 
some devilish trick he was about to do, while the cap- 
tain must have had his mind occupied on something that 
took away all his attention from what was going on 
surrounding him, there was not the least doubt that he, 
the former, had in his mind to play a trick on the cap- 
tain he was to play when a few weeks before this, one 
of the sailors on the starboard watch made a knot on 
the end of a half-inch rope about eighteen inches long 
to play with. Thus well prepared he, with his soft slip- 
pers, took the weather side of the ship. With a cat-like 
move he passed me and got within two or three feet 
behind the captain whose snow white pantaloons were as 
smooth as the skin of an apple. He slung his sling shot 
high up and with all his strength gave the captain a 
wallop that made him jump. 

Then came a rumpus. The captain, second mate and 
my partner with the mate coming up from the cabin went 
at him. He fought like a wildcat, but finally they got him 
subdued, and with his hands cuffed, they took him down 
in the after locker where he stayed for about 24 hours 
when they released him. 

The following day the captain gave orders to give 
Charley a bath and a rubbing every morning, by the 
watch on deck between six and eight in the morning. 
We all were very much surprised at his good behavior 
when he went through his first shower bath served by 
the men on the starboard watch. 

Thus every morning when EJk and I had to at- 
tend to Charley, the second mate had to stear the ship. 
The nearer we got to the temperate zone the more our 

lay 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 



young country gentleman improved. "We kept up our 
treatment to Charley to within a few days from our 
first destination, when it became too cold. By this time 
we had a few days of strong wind and had all we could 
do with our short-handed crew to keep all things in 
shape as it is necessary on board of a ship. As for 
Charley, his whole actions were much different from 
what they were before he got his salt water treatment 
and entered into a cooler climate. 

Being fortunate to escape all kinds of unfavorable 
weather, we finally dropped anchor outside of Plymouth 
harbor, after a trip of almost four months, which never 
will be forgotten by those who went through the exper- 
ience. With the flag in the breeze a little while after, a 
boat came along with four persons, two of them well 
dressed, and as we had everything ready to let Charley 
down into the boat as easily as possible by way of a 
boatswain chair, it took but a few minutes when they 
were of! again. 

Then everyone standing at the railing, the captain 
raised his right hand and thanked God for relieving 
him of the responsibility that was forced upon him so 
long as that young man was under his care. 

Early in the morning of the next day we heaved up 
anchor and set, sail for Liverpool with our wheat cargo, 
without any damage to the ship and cargo, wnen we were 
towed into the harbor. As none of the sailors was ac- 
quainted in Liverpool, and no questions asked when we 
were discharged, we all scattered here and there. 



140 



CHAPTER XII 

SOUTH AMERICA AND INDIA 

In less than a week I shipped in a small two-masted 
steamer to make a trip from Liverpool to the Amazon 
by way of Lisbon, the largest seaport of Portugal. 

Almost all steamboats in those days used sails as well 
as steam, whenever the wind was favorable for the 
former. 

It took but a few days when we dropped anchor a 
little ways off from the piers of the city. Taking in but 
a few articles of machinery, in less than two days we 
were off for Para, a seaport on the Amazon River. As 
we had beautiful weather from the start all the way up 
to our destination and nothing happened to disturb the 
peace of our minds about the elements, we made a quick 
trip and anchored about a mile off the city. We stayed 
there several days before we were loaded with a light 
cargo of cocoanuts and Brazil nuts, and some other mer- 
chandise. 

As the sailors had no chance to go on shore, I can- 
not pass any judgment as to what was going on in that 
seaport, with the exception of my knowledge that slavery 
was not abolished. Everyone that had anything to do 
with getting the boat loaded, by order of the bosses, 
were slaves. They were not as black as I saw them in 
Trinidad. They looked more like mulattoes. They may 
have been half-breeds, between Portugese and Indian. 

One day just after dinner, I got a chance to have a few 
minutes' conversation with one of them with whom I had 

in 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

exchanged a few words whenever I had an opportunity. 
I asked him about the treatment they received from their 
masters. 

"They are not bad so far as it goes," he answered 
in broken English, "but," said he, "I am a slave. They 
give us enough to eat and drink, and when we are sick 
we are well taken care of." Then twisting his right el- 
bow a little he pointed with one of his fingers to a brand 
mark he had on his arm between his shoulder and elbow. 
"But there are hopes that we may see the day when we 
are free," he said. It has passed my mind, but it must 
have been some twenty-five or thirty years ago when 
slavery was abolished in Brazil. And the old Emperor 
Don Pedro who was dethroned, took his baggage and 
went back to the House of Bragaze in Portugal. 

As soon as we were loaded, we started for home, back 
to Liverpool. Every one of the sailors expressed them- 
selves before they got home that they never would ship 
in another steamboat that used sails as well as steam. 
And if they kept their word as well as I did, they never 
went in another steamboat (as a sailor) for the very 
reason that there was no chance for a rest on the watch. 
If it wasn't scrubbing or daubing, it was going up aloft 
to let go the sails or tie them up again whenever the 
wind changed to the contrary of the course the boat was 
taking. I stayed no longer in Liverpool than I possibly 
could help and in less than two weeks I shipped in a 
full rigged ship by the name of Timoor. 

Before any of us left the shipping office we were told 
to be on board in the evening of the next day in order to 
be on hand early the next morning. Usually the first 
thing a sailor does when he goes on board of another 
ship is to size her up and make his remarks about the 
comforts or inconveniences whatever they may be, or 

ui 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

may not expect. And it so turned out that everyone of 
us agreed that we were in as good a ship as ever sailed 
across the deep blue waters of the ocean. As for the 
Scottish captain, we soon found out that he was as able 
and as good as any one that navigated a ship. 

But there came one thing on board at the very start, 
when one sailor laid down in his bunk as soon as he came 
on board. He coughed and coughed until he finally went 
to sleep after he got a dose of something that gave him 
rest. He laid in his bunk until we got into a warmer 
climate when they put him on deck where the sun could 
strike him. It seemed as if, in the first week or two, he 
might get better as he felt much easier, but there was no 
help for him. Now and then he would change from bad 
to worse or better, and on several occasions we gave 
him up, thinking he could not live any longer than a few 
days. 

Outside of that poor sailor for whom there was no 
hope to ever see those again who were so dear to him, 
there was nothing that happened out of the ordinary. 
With the best kind of treatment, gocd weather and fair 
winds, we had a pleasant voyage. In less than a hun- 
dred days we got near the mouth of the Ganges, where 
a pilot and two of his cooley servants came on board, 
while our sick man was taken on shore, more dead than 
alive. 

A few days after we arrived at Calcutta, we got the 
news that our shipmate was dead. 

The first thing when we began to unload our heavy 
cargo of salt that attracted my attention more than 
anything else, was to see so m^ny coolies coming on 
board from a large, old-faslroncd river craft. The most 
of them jumped in the hold on top of the salt, which they 
shoveled into small bags. There were at least four times 

1 |3 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

as many to unload that cargo as there would be in a 
harbor in Europe, but nevertheless, they worked hard, 
and soon the ship was unloaded. And what did these 
almost naked human beings get for their work? If 
they got from six to eight cents in United States money 
for a day's work, it would be the highest paid wages 
for any of the lower class. In some cases it was less. 
But as they had no other expenses than to provide for 
their stomachs, with the exception of a few yards of the 
cheapest breech cloth, they seemed to live any way 
and save enough for the greatest festival days in the 
year. While I was there I saw a number of them sit- 
ting on the bank of the river waiting for their cloth to 
dry, which they had washed. 

As there were no docks or piers for ships to lay in 
those days, they all were anchored to buoys near the 
banks of the river, two abreast. As soon as a ship came 
in, a scow was on hand with three or more natives to 
receive as many fathoms of chain as they needed. The 
scow lay within a few feet of the float. One of the na- 
tives stood ready with one end of the chain in his hand, 
to plunge into the water, while his partners let out all 
the slack he needed and held up the weight of the chain. 
When all was ready he made a dive close to the buoy and 
disappeared. After a minute he came to the surface, 
having the chain shackled on the lower end of the buoy. 
The same thing was done at the stern, and another cooley 
took his turn. 

As there was no other way to go on shore unless we 
hired a bumboat, of which there were many scattered 
here and there on the river. All we had to do was to 
sing out, "Sam Dos!'' a name applied to anyone on the 
river that managed one of these ferries. 

M4 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

A few days after we arrived my chum shipmate 
asked me if I would like to go with him to the barracks, 
as he wanted to see his soldier brother, of whom he had 
spoken before. As I was glad of the invitation, we 
started out on the first Sunday, early in the forenoon. 
Not more than about thirty-five rods from the river is 
Fort William, one of the finest and strongest that ever 
was built, on a plot of ground of several acres surrounded 
by a wall not very high. There was nothing to be seen 
outside of the fort, not even a guard, with the exception 
of the cannon that was placed a little distance apart, 
a few feet below the top of the wall in the narrow para- 
pets. 

As soon as we reached the side toward the city, we 
hadn't walked very far when we came to an opening in 
the wall, a gateway leading up to the barracks and a few 
rods away. Slowly we walked up to the guard and as 
soon as my shipmate inquired about his brother, he 
let us in. As we entered there was not a soul to be seen, 
but it was early and that accounted for it. The first 
thing that attracted mv attention was a heap of cannon 
balls. 

On our left there was a long row of dwellings with- 
out any space between them, occupied by the officers. 
On our right was the barracks of the soldiers. The 
English occupied the second story, the natives the first. 
The place looked more like a little town than a bar- 
racks, as I have seen some before. But the most inter- 
esting part of it was when we got upstairs where he met 
his brother. While they were busy talking together I 
paid my attention to the place. The hall was so large 
one could hardly make out what was going on from one 
end to the other. There were six rows of iron cribs from 
fore to aft, with plenty of space between them. Large 
fans hanging down a foot or more from the ceiling with 

145 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 



ropes attached to thein, were used through the night 
while the soldiers were asleep. One cooley could work 
several of the fans while he was sitting at ease pulling 
the rope the same as he would a bell rope. 

After my smipmate had enjoyed a good visit with 
his brother, we went back to the ship. About a week or 
more after we arrived we began to feel unwell, and as 
there was no hopes to get away from there within two 
months or more, and the captain could get all the men 
he wanted by the time he was ready to leave, I made up 
my mind to ask for my discharge, with the thought of 
getting a chance to join another ship. As it is for the 
benefit of the ship owners to have no more men on board 
than is necessary while they are waiting for a cargo, I 
had no trouble to get my discharge, with the promise 
that I could come back if I wanted to, about the time she 
was to leave. I picked up my belongings, hired a cooley 
and went to the Sailors' Home, which was almost over- 
crowded with sailors and some officers. 

While I was on shore idling my time away, I found 
out that there were more than I who were looking for a 
chance to get a berth. Some had to wait until the ships 
were loaded before they could come on board, and as 
there were many that were not engaged, it looked as if I 
had to wait to get away from the city longer than the 
money I had would last me. But disappointed as I was, 
thinking that all would turn out lovely, it learned me a 
lesson and added a little knowledge to the very little I 
had stored up after I had to think for myself, instead 
of thinking what others wanted me to think and be- 
lieve. 

While I was in the Sailors' Home I went along with 
some other sailors almost every day to the river, hiring a 
Sam Doss, a name given by the sailors to anyone that 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHAN! 

managed a bornboat. As there were many to be had, no 
difficulty was experienced. As a general rule there were 
two in a boat. 

If the tide happened to be low, Sam and his. part- 
ner had to carry us on their bare, yellow and slippery 
backs to and from the boat, a few yards from the banks 
of the river. Once I came pretty nearly being ducked 
into the mud, but holding on like grim death, pressing 
my nails against Sam Doss' tough skin, I saved myself 
from being flopped into the mire. Sometimes we took a 
walk to the City of Palaces, but we never reached very 
far into the European part of the city, that lay on the 
outskirts where the Europeans and the better class of the 
Hindu caste live. 

In order to have every reader that reads my story 
know the meaning of the word "caste", and thereby 
pass their own judgment on the preaching and teachings 
that have been drummed into the heads of workers all 
over the world, invented by those of more cunning and 
not caring to do a stroke of useful work, teaching the 
mass of people a lot of shameful superstition in order 
to make workers believe that whenever a group of these 
insane, degenerate human monsters put up a war to maim 
and kill their fellow creatures for the sake of more pelf 
and more power. And no matter the grief and sorrow, 
misery and pain, privation and hardships that follow 
after, the workers keep on believing when they are told 
by some celebrated preachers that God made the war 
and wanted war, in opposition to what they preached be- 
fore. 

"Thou shalt not kill nor steal." What then is the 
use trying to stop the war as long as God wanted war 
and can stop it as soon as He is ready and make the 
lower classes or caste follow the teaching from the pul- 

14? 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

pits, that have always stood by the higher classes who 
spend their lives in idleness, never doing a stroke of use- 
ful work of any kind? 

There never would be war if it wasn't for the highest 
religious class, that live by the sweat of the brows of the 
lowest religious class, the workers. What then is the 
difference between the religious classes of the Hindus 
and all the different Christian denominations? The 
difference is this, Hindustan is swarmed with the most 
fanatical race of people that can be imagined. The dif- 
ferent divisions of caste are also subdivided, the lowest 
of them are looked upon as no better than outcasts, 
worse than paupers in the Christian countries, the lat- 
ter having a chance to go to heaven if they repent be- 
fore they die. But woe unto one who loses his caste. It 
is the worst calamity that can happen to a Hindu. 

But no matter what crime one commits, so long as they 
abstain from eating impure food and stick to the fanat- 
ical teaching of their priests, they hold their caste. 

One Sunday I took a walk with one of my former 
shipmates. We got into a street by the name of Zig- 
zag Lane. It was so crooked it put me in mind of a big, 
black looking serpent crawling slowly along, swinging 
its tail on one side, then on the other side of the fence, 
where I was walking. 

Walking along, now turning one way and then the 
other on that narrow street, the heat of the sun coming 
down on our heads, and becoming thirsty we turned 
around and tried to get a drink of water, but nowhere 
could we get a drop. But before we got out of Zigzag 
Lane we met a coolie with a large leather pouch full 
of water with a spout on one end. As the bag was well 
balanced by a strap, he could use both hands, one for 
letting the water out and the other for holding the 

3.48 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

wooden cup he served the drink in. We both took a 
drink, and paid for it, something worth a cent in our 
money for each of us. He seemed to be very thankful, 
treated us with a salaam and a look that was amusing, 
and we had a good laugh all to ourselves. 

In the busiest part of the city one has not to look very 
long to find a place to get some small change. As we 
passed along we stopped in front of a building near to 
the curb. There were four natives squatting down on 
the sidewalk, cross-legs, each having some money piled 
up of the different coins. Rupees, Annas and Rupees 
in gold. The latter are between seven and eight times 
the value of silver rupees. Changing a silver rupee, 
one would lose one anna. 

In no other part of the world where I had been before 
and after the habits, manners and looks were so different 
from all other nationalities that one who had never seen 
or heard of them could hardly make out, at least it was 
so with us, whether they were really sane or not, when 
they were looking at us, with their hair cut close, with 
here and there a little patch shaved off their topnots in 
little circles. Some had only one of these bare spots, 
while others had two or three. The finger nails of some 
of the natives were so long it was enough to make any 
delicate European vomit. Then, too, there were many 
I saw in the course of my stay on land that had one or 
more patches on their cheeks of some kind of salve, 
looking more like mud someone had thrown at them, 
but what is the use of saying any more about these people 
that were taught a religion by the more cunning, the 
selfish, the lazy human parasites that have mesmerized 
them to a belief that made them what they are, in order 
to do their bidding and make slaves of the masses to do 
their dirty work. 

14!) 



CHAPTER XIII 

DIVIDE RATIONS WITH CREW IN DISTRESS 

After four weeks of tramping around I found a ship 
to sail with, but as there were many things to do before 
the ship was ready to go on her trip to New York, loaded 
with jute, the sailors had ample time to learn what we 
could expect when once on the ocean. Three days be- 
fore we started one of the older sailors went to the first 
mate, asking if he could go to the captain, telling him 
that his crew would like to buy some potatoes and on- 
ions, for which we would pay. To our surprise, early 
the next morning two coolies came along side of the ship 
with ten little bags of potatoes and four of onions. The 
bags held about a half bushel. 

As we all got on good terms with our stomachs since 
we boarded at the Sailors' Home, where we were fed on 
potatoes, rice and some trimmings, stuffed pigs on Sun- 
day, and eggs without stint every morning, we made 
up our minds to live high so long as it would last. 

Early in the morning the day after we got our extra 
provisions we started, and soon found out that one of the 
oldest shipmates didn't feel well, and before we got 
out of the Bay of Bengal he stayed in his bunk. We also 
found out that the ship was as slow as any one of us 
had sailed with. The first unpleasant thing that befell us 
was almost a dead calm for several days before we got 
out of the bay. After that we sailed along under favor- 
able wind and a strong breeze. 

The man in his bunk didn 't seem to improve a bit, 
but rather grew weaker. He was tall and well built, be- 

150 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

tween 35 and 40 years old. He had a disease, the worst 
of all diseases that man is cursed with. 

We got within the zone between the Isle of Manrigius 
and Madagasgar, when one day early in the morning, 
one of the officers looking through his binoculars, saw a 
ship far in the distance coming toward us with the Nor- 
wegian flag at half mast, indicating that they were in dis- 
tress. As soon as we met within a safe distance apart, 
the sails were backed to the wind. It took but a little 
while when a boat with one officer and two sailors came 
along side. They had had calms and very bad weather 
from the time they started almost up to the time we met. 
They were very much in need of provisions, especially 
such as was good for scurvy. It was fortunate for them, 
and us too, that we, the poor sailors, economized on our 
own provisions, for as the provisions for the sailors on 
our ship were old, and nothing in the line of fresh hard 
tack had come on board, say nothing of the half spoiled 
beef and pork which was doled to us by the prentice who 
lived with us in the forecastle. We would (up to that 
time) have been as bad off as those on the Norwegian 
bark. 

But one thing we had on board was lime juice, the 
best thing for scurvy, of which we got a dose every week. 
As soon as the officer stepped on deck he was invited 
to come into the cabin, where he talked with the captain 
quite a while. The whole crew was on deck, holding a 
council as to what we could afford to give them. It was 
left to a few of the oldest of the crew to decide. They 
were given two bags of potatoes and some onions. As 
there was enough tobacco on board, we all gave a big 
navy plug and some who used less than others gave two. 
From the cabin they got more than we could give them, 
besides some lemon juice. 

151 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

The poor fellows who were in the boat didn't know 
how to act and what to say in order to make us under- 
stand their appreciation and thankfulness, as we handed 
over to them the different articles, but what tickled those 
fellows in the boat more than anything they got, was 
when at last the big plugs of tobacco were handed to 
them. As soon as everything they got was placed in the 
boat, the officer took his place and off they went to their 
noble ship that had stood the battering of many storms 
and was ready for more to come. 

With the sails all set, the flags flapping in the breeze 
and a good bye we went on our course. With the finest 
kind of weather, a favorable wind and a comparatively 
smooth sea, we sailed for many days without anything 
happening to disturb the mental equilibrum of any sail- 
or who was used to bad treatment, hardships and suf- 
fering. But at the same time, it wasn't pleasant to see 
a captain of a ship come on deck every so often with his 
stomach partly filled with Scotch whiskey, and act like 
a fool. The mate was a nice man, as was the boatswain, 
but it seemed that the second mate was in with the cap- 
tain, and oftimes acted very mean. But up to this time 
nothing happened. 

By the time we passed the Cape of Good Hope our 
sick man was getting weaker, with no hopes of recovery. 
For several days before we dropped anchor at St. Helena 
the stench that came from that man was so unbearable 
that we took our meals on deck, and some of us slept in 
the open. As soon as we arrived about the middle of 
the day, a boat was lowered for the captain to be taken 
on shore by the second mate and two sailors. They came 
back with the news that poor Jack was to be taken on 
shore the first thing in the morning the next day. When 
the time came he was put in a boatswain's chair and 
gently lowered down to the boat and put on shore. It is 

1&2 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

needless to say that we all felt easier. We fumigated 
our quarters and threw everything overboard that he left 
behind. 

In the forenoon of the next day the captain went on 
shore again, coming back about noon with a bundle of 
water cress and a bag of potatoes. There was also a 
small keg filled with liquor, but we never got a smell of 
it. Late in the afternoon we heaved up anchor. The 
first mate stood near by us, while the second mate and 
the boatswain were doing something on the poop deck. 
They got into a quarrel and had a hard fight, which re- 
sulted in a large cut on the side of the second mate's 
head, from the top down almost to his temple. He bled 
like a stuck pig. As the fight couldn't have lasted more 
than a minute before the captain and mate ran up be- 
tween the belligerents, the reader can well imagine the 
commotion that followed. 

But as everyone of the sailors was busy getting the 
anchor on deck, the captain and the mate were the only 
ones who came between the two officers and stopped the 
fight without any resistance from the two angry men. 
The boatswain was put down into the cabin hand-cuffed. 
After a while the second mate came on deck to attend to 
his duty. With his head plastered up on one side in 
good shape and a sour look on his face, it seemed it 
would cure him of being a bully, especially when he was 
drunk. 

When all the sails were set and the deck cleared, 
everybody was called to the afterdeck and told to stand 
in line on the starboard side, facing the captain and the 
two mates. The former treated us with a commanding 
look on his face and one hand on the stock of a large 
revolver that stuck out of his pocket. As one of the 
sailors, at one time when the cook was in the cabin lnak- 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

ing ready for dinner, stole half of the nice things that 
were intended to go down to the cabin, while on another 
day our dinner was rice, (the day for rice on all English 
ships) there was enough allowed to satisfy most any per- 
son to make a good meal of it, and as the law in England 
provides one pound of sugar every five days and one 
pound of butter every week for the sailors, we could 
make quite a meal out of it, but as the cook wasn't any of 
the best for the sailors, it so happened one Friday that 
there was not near enough of the mess to go around, 
and not half done. It made one of the sailors so mad 
that he picked up the little wooden tub and called to the 
cook to come out on deck, and as the latter did so, our 
shipmate held the mess close to his face and asked if he 
called that a dinner? Then with a curse he turned the 
little tub of rice upside down on the top of the cook's 
head, down to his ears. 

All this was mentioned and we were told that every 
one of us would be called upon to come before the court. 
After a few days the boatswain was lead on deck for a 
few hours every day until we arrived at New York, a 
few days before Christmas, with a record of 157 days. 
None of the sailors were called upon to come before the 
court. The captain knew better. The boatswain was let 
free in spite of the fact that the captain tried to take 
him to England. The part of the city around the docks 
in New York in those clays was swarmed (so to speak) 
with sailors, boarding house lawyers, and all kinds of 
land sharks. One of these lawyers and the boarding 
masters made us believe that if it hadn't been for what 
they had done for us poor sailors, we would have had to 
go back with the ship to England. Some of us didn't take 
it very serious, while others thought that they were nice 
gentlemen until we got robbed of more than half of what 
was coming to us. 

|54 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

By the time the cargo was half taken out of the ship, 
it was plain to be seen that her bottom was covered 
thick with barnacles, from a foot to eighteen inches long. 

After staying on shore for about two weeks, I shipped 
again and made two trips from New York to England am> 
back, each time coming back in another ship. As I had 
not written a letter for a long time, I almost gave up 
hopes of ever seeing my brother again and felt ashamed 
to write to poor Maria. 



loo 



CHAPTER XIV 

TO THE DARK CONTINENT WITH A TRADER 

As I had by this time put my feet on the ground of 
every continent more or less, except Africa, and always 
had a desire to see with my own eyes a little of the dark 
continent, it so happened that I got a chance to ship in 
the beautiful bark De Sota for a trip to the west coast 
of Africa, sailed by Captain Elksander, one of the first 
that traded on that coast. 

The day after shipping, everyone had to be on board. 
Just at the time I arrived a tug boat came along to take 
us out, but had to wait for a passenger. It wasn^c long 
before a rig came along with two persons, well dressed, 
one a missionary, the other a young negro as black as 
coal. After the latter 's baggage was taken on board, he 
shook hands with his dear friend, who took him along 
from his native land when he was a boy, to educate and 
train him for missionary work among his own people, 
in accord with the teachings of the Presbyterian Church. 
As we all saw them shake each other with both hands, it 
must have been a hard parting for both of them, but 
especially for the young man 21 years old. 

"Let go the lines, boys," was the word as soon as our 
young negro missionary stepped on board. It was a fine 
day and before the day was over we were far out on 
the ocean headed for Little Bassa. 

But where was our missionary, in the cabin? Oh, 
no. In a little room partitioned off the forecastle, large 
enough for two passengers. There the sailors took his 

15G 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

luggage. There he had to stay. It seemed as if the cap- 
tain didn't much recognize him and very few words were 
passed between him and the two officers. With the sail- 
ors there was a little difference. They would say "Good 
morning/ ' "How do you do?" etc. I felt sorry for and 
sympathized with the young fellow and many a time sat 
on the main hatch listening to him tell about his little his- 
tory and how glad he was to go back to his people. He 
was very pious and a strong believer in the Presbyterian 
teachings. 

One day as I was listening to him he said, "I cannot 
understand how anyone that don't live up to the precepts 
of the Presbyterian teachings can get salvation and en- 
ter the Kingdom of Heaven.' ' 

The reader knows or should know that we all have our 
faults and more or less peculiar ways. Our captain was 
not only an able navigator, but also knew how to sail a 
ship under any condition of the weather, and was very 
careful. Our rations were better than the average, and 
plenty of it. But our captain didn't like a negro, al- 
though he had made his fortune from the black man since 
he began trading on the west coast of the dark continent, 
and was a part owner of the ship. That he hated the ne- 
groes could be seen by his staying on board and letting 
the mate do the business on shore. 

Very seldom we saw the captain on deck in the day ; 
then only for a short time. But from 8 to 10 P. M. he 
was there as prompt as the man who came along to re- 
lieve the one at the wheel and take his turn. Placing him- 
self in a comfortable position with his feet against the 
railing, he would sit there for two hours, looking into 
space without a change, from the very start of our voy- 
age up to the time we got to within a few days of New 
York. 

l-'.T 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

With no changing of the wind and weather after about 
a month, within a few miles from a station called Little 
Bassa, we backed up our sails against the wind and wait- 
ed. The sun shone hot, but a cool breeze from the weather 
side helped us along while waiting for someone, a mes- 
senger, to come along. There was nothing doing on deck 
while waiting, but the captain and his officers were busy 
using their spy-glasses. When after a while two men 
in a canoe came along, we talked and jested about what 
was going on. We were told the day before that if anyone 
wanted to write a letter, he could do so and the captain 
would send it off at the first chance. As soon as they 
came along side the ship, there came a silence, and it 
seemed that we were all dumfounded. 

We all stepped on the other side of the deck, looking 
with awe, as one of the six-footers stepped on deck as 
nude as he was when first he came into the light of day, 
and he was as black as ink. When he got within reach 
of the captain he made a bow and handed him a tin tube. 
The latter put the papers into the tube, and after a 
few words of instruction the carrier went into the boat 
as proud as he came. 

The two negroes used their paddles as fast as they 
could and it didn't take very long before they came back 
in a larger canoe with two other strapping young men 
as nude as the others. As soon as they stepped on deck, 
"Square the yards, boys," was the order and in a few 
minutes we were off for Grand Bassa. 

The two negroes or crew boys, as they were called on 
the coast, made the work on board a good deal easier. 
They made themselves useful on deck, but they didn't 
have to go up aloft. They were gentle and seemed to be 

1*8 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 



well satisfied with their lot. And why not? All they 
needed was food for their stomachs. 

As soon as we arrived within a fair distance from the 
beach of Grand Bassa, we dropped anchor. All sails 
were lowered and made fast and one of the boats put 
overboard. The mate and our young missionary with 
the two crew boys rowing the boat went on shore. Af- 
ter a few hours they came back. The next day two natives 
came along side to be loaded with some of our cargo, 
such as tobacco, matches and some other light articles. 
The mate and the two crew boys went in the boat partly 
loaded with some more of our light cargo. As soon as 
the latter came back, we pulled up anchor and were off 
again, this time to Cape Coast Castle. A stiff wind was 
blowing when we arrived. It increased and all through 
the night it blowed quite hard. After 12 o'clock at 
night the wind slackened down to a steady breeze. As 
there was quite a sea on, the mate with his two negroes 
and the young preacher had to be careful how to handle 
the boat when they got near the land and watch the sur- 
face when it roars and bounds to the beach. It so hap- 
pened that they came near being swamped. Our mission- 
ary got the worst of it. He tumbled out of the boat, but 
was saved by the negroes. 

We stopped there three days and did some trading. 
With the crew boys left behind we went on our way to 
Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, but while we were on 
our way the young preacher took sick and went to his 
bunk. When we arrived he was taken on shore, where he 
died a short time later. 

Of all the little things that came into my possession, 
but never could keep them, thei'e was one that I thought 
more of than all the others I tried to keep. A few days 
before we arrived at Little Bassa, our young preacher 

no 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 



handed me a little book on astronomy with the words 
"Remember me by this." I thought a great deal of it, 
and kept it for a long time until I got shipwrecked 
later on. 

Monrovia is situated a little way up the river St. 
Paul, on the left hand side going up, within a little dis- 
tance from the low sandy beach, and almost in line from 
where we lay at anchor. Everything that was done on 
board the DeSota went along nicely, without any dom- 
ineering which was generally the case on some of the 
deep water crafts. Not once did the captain go on shore 
while we lay there. 

A few days after we got rid of our cargo, a canoe 
came along side loaded with dye wood, cut and split like 
cord wood, with the bark taken off. The first Sunday af- 
ter we arrived, part of the crew got liberty to go on shore. 
The next Sunday the others went. As I belonged to the 
latter, I remember well that we made ready on Satur- 
day night to take our short vacation. After breakfast 
the next morning, two of our shipmates took us to the 
beach. 

The country rises gradually as one walks away from 
the beach, but we hadn't walked far when a big strap- 
ping negro came along through a narrow lane on our 
left, dressed in military clothing with a French cap, an 
English coat, a blue pair of trousers several inches too 
short, and a sword dangling against his side. He wore 
a pair of well polished shoes. He looked more like a 
clown than a polished man. We followed him and soon 
got into the capital of Liberia with its frame buildings 
and wooden shanties scattered about among the trees 
that were left standing here and there, with foot paths 
and narrow roads. Up to that time we hadn't seen any 
one on the street except the officer who passed us. On 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

two occasions we stopped at one of the dwellings. One 
of the two had no door in it. As for windows, we didn't 
see any while we were navigating around, but holes 18 by 
20 inches or more were all we could see. All this was 
not strange to us. We had all been in tropical countries 
before, where poor people can't afford windows, and 
still be warm all the year round, more comfortable than 
the poor whites who shiver, cough and sneeze in the win- 
ter and sweat like a race horse in hot and damp atmos- 
phere in the summer. 

Walking along slowly we finally came within four or 
five rods of a one-story brick building. One negro and 
two wenches stood in the road. They stepped back a 
few feet and smiled as we passed. The two wenches 
were very tall and well built; the negro was a little 
shorter. The man wore a little apron in front about 
eighteen inches square. Each of the two wenches wore 
a frock. Before we got to the front of the building an- 
other wench came along with a baby on her back, peeping 
over her shoulders, ready for the next meal. 

The first thing we observed when we entered the brick 
house was that it was divided into two parts lengthwise, 
one for the living rooms and the other for a store. 
Outside of what they sold in the trade with the natives, 
they kept a bar room where they sold fire-water of the 
worst kind. There was a long table with two benches, 
one on each side. The landlord and some kind of flunky 
were the only white people we saw. After a while we 
went out with the intention of tramping a little further 
up the town. Feeling somewhat sleepy and tired, I 
backed out and walked slowly to the river. A little dis- 
tance up the river from where we landed, lay a canoe high 
and dry on the beach. I walked up there and laid myself 
down to rest, but in spite of myself I went to sleep. I 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 



didn't come to life until the sun was above the horizon 
the next morning. I got up and with my hands raised, 
I sung out, "De Sota, hoy!" In a little while I was on 
board. 

What little I had been drinking must have been 
of the worst intoxicating rot that ever went down the 
throat of a poor sinner. As the sailors had to keep 
anchor watch and my turn came to stay on deck from 8 to 
10 P. M. and 4 to 6 A. M., watching the changing of the 
tide and the position of the ship, at no time or place, 
when I was all alone in the those still hours of the night, 
when for the first time I had the watch from 8 to 10 P. M., 
with nothing that stirred and appealed to my senses more 
than usual, when at the hour of 10 the noise of a rattle- 
box, and presto, a loud voice coming from the night 
watchman shouting "Ten o'clock and all is well." The 
echo of that voice resounded through the air so clear on 
that little spot of the dark continent, to stir up the most 
uninteresting and sleepy person that ever lived, unless 
they were born and lived there. 

When my turn came from 4 to 6 how I listened to the 
clear sounding voices at breaking of the day when the 
young blood started out to fish. And how happy they 
must have felt in their nakedness with no more fear of 
being captured and sold for slaves to the whites. A few 
days before the ship was loaded every sailor had a parrot 
for which we had bargained for a dollar apiece. The 
mate had five of the finest that could be gotten from 
those with whom he did the business for the captain. The 
cook got two, the second mate none, but the later had 
three ringtailed monkeys. 

The day before we started on the home trip the mate 
went on shore and came back with a big fat turkey. In 
less than a week we were celebrating the Fourth of July 

m 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

with the flags flying in the breeze, with a turkey dinner 
and two cigars apiece. That we were living high on that 
great day on the deep blue waters of the North Atlantic 
Ocean, no one will doubt who has an understanding. 

With beautiful weather and fair winds we arrived at 
Brooklyn. "When we were towed within a few rods of the 
pier, everyone was busy to help tie up the ship. Our 
forecastle was shut up, and with the exception of the 
mate everyone had their things secured. The mate had 
his five birds in the cook's galley but not locked up. 1 
remember well seeing three fellows well diessed, but 
had no suspicion of anything that might happen, but as 
the cook was as busy as any one to get ready to go on 
shore, those three white-livered gentlemen must have 
watched him going to and fro between the cabin and the 
galley, and the first chance one of them jumped on board, 
and within two steps from the railing he got into the gal- 
ley, took the two cages with the beautiful birds and hand- 
ed them over to his so-called civilized, Christian friend, 
the white man. This was the difference between our 
boasted civilization and the ignorance and honesty of 
the despised black man. 

When everything was tied and snugged up, everyone 
went on shore and with the exception of those who had 
a home to go to, I with three others spent a few days on 
shore. But thinking about finding out if there was a let- 
ter for me in the postofiice, I started out, and sure enough 
I received a letter from my dear Maria, but no news from 
my brother. 

My intention was to go to Europe, but as there was 
no chance just then unless I waited a we£k or more, I 
made a trip to Savannah, Georgia. One of my shipmates 
one evening as we were talking about our rambles, said 

163 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

that he had a good mind to go to Buffalo and sail on the 
lakes. Wages were good with better treatment. If one 
wanted to work in the winter there was always a chance 
to work in the woods most anywhere. I looked at it very 
favorably and by the time we arrived at New York City 
with our cargo of big timbers, I made up my mind to go 
with him to Buffalo and sail on the lakes until late in the 
fall, with the intention of going back to New York and 
then to Europe. 



"•! 



CHAPTER XV 



SAILING THE GREAT LAKES 



We started for Buffalo as soon as we were paid off. 
Arriving at the old Lake Shore Depot, we met a Mr. 
McCabe who kept a boarding house on Exchange Street 
right across from the station. In a few days I was sail- 
ing on the lakes. I sailed until late in the fall. On the 
last trip to Buffalo one of the sailors said that he had 
boon working in the woods the previous winter a couple 
of miles west of Silver Creek. 

I thought it over and as soon as I had straightened 
up everything, one morning just after breakfast, I start- 
ed out on foot on the railroad track for Silver Creek. 
When I got within a little distance of the village I met 
the track boss. He gave me all the information I wanted, 
and directed me to an old wood chopper who lived a 
little way from the woods. 

By the time I got to the woods it must have been 
about quitting time. I met a chopper with an axe over 
his shoulder. When I mentioned his name he said, " Yes, 
that is me." He took me to the shanty and introduced 
me to his wife and two little children. I stayed with him 
through the winter and managed to pay for my board. 

As it was a very mild winter the season on the lakes 
opened early in March. My first trip that spring was 
with Captain Lanphere of Silver Creek. Captain Lan- 
phere was a good provider and a good master an around, 
but as he was in the lumber trade and I never handled 
any lumber, it was pretty hard work for me to keep up 
with the rest and do my full share, hence I made but one 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

trip with him in the Welfare, from Buffalo to Lake Hu- 
ron. 

Sailing here and there over the lakes I finally landed 
in Chicago towards the end of the fall. After a f ew short 
trips from the latter place, on Saturday, late in the even- 
ing when I was about going to sleep, the landlord came 
to my room and asked if I wanted to go to Muskegon for 
twelve dollars. I jumped out and in a few minutes I went 
along with the mate and as soon as we came on deck we 
started and before daylight the next morning we were in 
Muskegon. 

Later we got the news that they had a fire in Chicago. 
On Monday we loaded our lumber and arrived in Chicago 
the next day. To say the least it was the most pitiful 
sight one could look at. I could not find my boarding 
house without asking. After a while I got in a large 
schooner from Chicago to Buffalo, four dollars a day and 
the fare back to Chicago. 

It took us just seven days to get into Buffalo. The 
next day we all went on shore and got paid off. They 
all got a ticket to go back to Chicago except myself. 
The captain asked me if I didn't want to go back with 
the others. I said, "No." "Well, if I give ^ou ten dol- 
lars will that suit you V 9 " Yes, sir, ' ' I answered. I went 
on board to get what belonged to me and started to go 
to Silver Creek. 

BACK TO ROTTERDAM AND MARIA 

■ I stayed with my friend for a while. I left two days 
before Christmas. I stayed in New York City for about 
two week before I got a chance to ship in a German bark 
loaded with rye for Rotterdam. The second day after 

3GC 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

we arrived in the latter place I took the train for Am- 
sterdam and met my Maria who was all the world to me. 
We talked it over and agreed that we should marry and 
go to America. The next day I went to the matrimonial 
office and made known to the man of the office that I 
wanted to marry but that I didn't know much about the 
marriage law, and didn't know how to go about it. 

"Can you support a wife, and what is your trade,' ' 
was the first question he asked me, and after answering 
him he went on saying, "The first thing you do is to 
write for your papers from where you were born, send 
them to this office and in about three weeks you can 
marry." Looking up in his face I asked him if there 
wasn't a way before that time to marry, that I was anx- 
ious to go back where I came from, and if it didn't cost 
too much I would be willing to pay a little extra. He 
looked at me and smiled. Then he said, "Young man, 
if you were rich instead of poor your money wouldn't 
do you any good. The law provides that every person 
shall marry by the judge of the court in whatever dis- 
trict or province they reside. If then, when after any 
couple sees fit to marry in the church of their religous 
faith, they can do so, but that does not make the marriage 
any better or worse. The court or the law of the land 
is the only way by which people, rich or poor can law- 
fully marry. ' ' 

Dear reader, it oftimes happens as we pass along 
in the course of our lives, and especially when we are 
young, to come in contact with people from whom we 
want advice about something we don't know. And how 
much hotter one feels as he steps in front of a person 
who holds a high office of the government or otherwise, 
to be treated as they like to be treated themselves. 

167 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 



I was very fortunate in my younger days to come 
across some very good and polite people. The latter 
gentleman was one of ihem. But as I have been fortunate 
in one way I have been unfortunate more than once 
when I had something to do with the worst disgusting 
upstarts that nature's God allowed to come on earth. 

But be as it is, the good gentleman told me that there 
were two rooms or halls, one was called the gi^en and the 
other the blue room. ' ' Now you can marry in one or the 
other, which ever you like. In the former it costs a little, 
in the latter it won't cost you a cent. And then it is left 
to your option to join in wedlock in the church." Thus 
the reader can well understand that no John, Dick or 
Harry can marry a couple, rich or poor, and make it 
lawful in the land of dykes. 

In order to save what money I had, I went to Rotter- 
dam and went on board the same bark and in a few days 
we sailed for Leeth, Scotland, where we took in a load 
of coal for Dansig, an old, strongly fortified city of 
Prussia, Germany, situated on the Vistula River a few 
miles from its mouth, on the north Baltic coast. 

The second day after I arrived I got my pay and a 
free pass on a small steamboat that plied between Dansig 
and Antwerp. I went on board the same night, and early 
in the morning we were on our way. In the forenoon of 
the third day she stopped at Flushing, a town of Holland 
situated on the right bank of the River Scheldt going up. 
They lowered a small boat and with two sailors they took 
me on shore. I got busy and soon got into a place where 
a 'bus would stop and take in some passengers for the 
next place, Middleburg. When I arrived there I had 
ample time to see some of the town. I slept there over 
night and before I left to go to Amsterdam in the fore- 
noon, I came to the conclusion that I had been in the 
cleanest, stillest and cheapest place I ever stopped. 



1US 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

As there were only a few days before the marriage 
ceremony was to take place, I was already informed how 
the men dressed on such occasions, but could not afford to 
buy a new suit, but as the most that were married in the 
blue room were all of the working class, I did the same 
as they did. I went to a store and rented a stove-pipe 
hat and a swallow tail coat, with a few more articles to 
make a show. 

When the day arrived for the marriage ceremony we 
started out early in the forenoon to the courthouse. On 
arriving we found the seats on the right hand of the 
aisle mostly all occupied by the relatives, and friends 
on the left. But the brides and grooms hadn't all ar- 
rived, but by the time they all got in, there must have 
been from 30 to 35 couples that were to be married. 

As soon as the judge came on the stage then all was 
silent. And with a commanding look to all that were 
present he spoke on the law of wedlock and the duties 
pertaining to both man and wife. He didn't dwell on the 
subject very long, but what he said was to the point that 
every one could understand. When he got through with 
his lecture we stood up and crossed hands, and with a 
few answers to questions asked by the old judge we 
were married. As we passed out we received a certificate 
and all was over unless one would marry in the church 
they belonged to, which I believe the most of them do. 
But that cuts no figure with the law of the land. Every 
denomination of religion is tolerated but privileged to 
none. 

The next day we went to Rotterdam. We stayed 
there for a few days, but as we could not get away in 
several days we had to be as economical as our mite 
would let. Thus I made up my mind to go to Antwerp, 
and as luck would have it, the day after we arrived in 

169 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

that noted city I stepped on board of a Nova Scotia bark 
whose captain had his wife on board. 

I spoke to the mate first. He told me that the same 
crew that came on board in Pictor, Nova Scotia, Can- 
ada, were still on board, but if yon want to go along and 
work your way across to Pictor I think the captain will 
take you and your wife along. And sure enough, after ex- 
plaining my situation to the latter, he talked it over with 
his wife and I was told I could come aboard the next day. 

BACK TO THE UNITED STATES 

It was a fine morning and the wind was fair when we 
started out for Pictor, but after a day or two shifting 
our course gradually towards the west, a strong wind was 
blowing against us. From that time to within a few 
days of our arrival at our destination, we tacked the 
ship every day. Considering the distance between one 
port and the other, it was the longest trip I ever made, 
over sixty days. If it had been in cold, stormy winter 
months from 80 to a hundred days wouldn 't have been 
very strange. 

But the captain and his wife were a remarkable 
couple. Every Sunday they would sing a hymn together 
in their cabin and with the exception of what was abso- 
lutely necessary there was nothing doing on deck on Sun- 
day. They seemed to be a religious couple. Everything 
was running smooth from start to finish. I felt very 
thankful to these people for taking us along for the work 
I did the same as the rest of the sailors. We occupied 
a little spare room down in the cabin. 

After staying a few days in Pictor we went to Mon- 
treal and from there to Buffalo. And when we entered 
McCabe's place on Exchange Street, my old boarding 
house, and paying the man that carried a wooden trunk 
or chest on his back for us, we had just 50 cents left. But 

170 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

as MeCabe and his wife knew me we were all right at the 
boarding house, but it did make me feel a little uneasy 
about how to get to Silver Creek. We stayed over night 
and after breakfast the next morning the matron handed 
me five dollars. 

We started for Silver Creek on the next train and ar- 
rived at the home of good and honest friends with whom 
I had lived before. After a day or two I went back to 
Buffalo and made a trip in a small schooner to Erie, 
coming back with a load of coal to Black Rock. I remem- 
ber well that it was late in the afternoon when we got 
along side the dock. I had told Maria to address a let- 
ter to MeCabe within a week and let me know how she got 
along. That I felt homesick and longed to hear from her 
no one will doubt. Thus I made up my mind to walk to 
Buffalo and back after supper. I seems to me now, after 
so many years have passed, that what I have mentioned 
before, what is going to happen happens ; no earthly be- 
ing can stop it. 

Why should I be so anxious to walk to Buffalo and 
back in the dark of night while my poor Maria was taken 
care of by good, honest people, and I hadn't been away 
from her a week, and was in a nice little schooner on 
which I made up my mind to stay through the season. 
But it seemed as if I was compelled by some uncontrol- 
able force of nature to rush along and get there in time. 

By the time I reached Buffalo the city was all lighted 
up. I didn't notice nor turn my eyes towards anything 
until I reached Main Street, where I stopped for about 
half a minute, thinking where I was at. But presto, with 
renewed vigor as fast as I could go it next to the curb 
where I could pass along without disturbing the peace 
by chaffing my poorly dressed elbows against the well 
dressed ladies and gents, and thereby I saved time. I 
don't remember how late it was when I entered the place. 

171 



CHAPTER XVI 

THE THREE ORPHANS MEET AGAIN 

The first thing that attracted my attention as I entered 
the place was a sailor sitting on a chair looking through 
the window seeing the people passing to and fro on Elx- 
change Street. He was the only man in the har room. I 
walked up to the bar and in a few minutes Mr. McCabe 
came in. I inquired if there was a letter for me. He 
looked and said ' ' No. ' ' I walked back and stopped half 
way to the door, and the sailor was looking to- 
wards me. I asked him a few questions such as sailors 
will ask others when they want to know about the wages 
and the shipping. He said the wages were good but he 
had waited ten days before he got a chance to ship, that 
he was going on board tomorrow morning. As I was in 
a hurry, I turned around to get out. Hold on partner. 
Let us go outside. I want to ask you a question." We 
walked out and stopped next to the curb. He looked at 
me and asked, ' '-Do you hail from Holland? ' ' "Yes, sir. ' ' 
"Were you in the orphan asylum!" With my hand 
stretched out I said, "Is that you William?" before he 
finished the word asylum. "This is me Bernard, your 
brother. Where in the name of heaven have you been all 
these thirteen years of hard struggle; perhaps it has 
been the same with you. 

"0, this is a hard world to live in, more so for such 
as we that were forced to wander all over without any 
friends to call on. Many times' I had made up my mind 
to go to Holland to inquire about you, but there always 

173 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

came something in my way to prevent me from going. 
The last time when I made up my mind to go to Amster- 
dam was in '67, when I shipped in a Canadian schooner 
loaded with petroleum, bound for Antwerp. I was well 
provided with clothing of all kinds, with some money 
which I had saved in the war in the navy of CJucle Sam 
at the time of the rebellion. As we were laying at anchor 
at the mouth of the Delaware River waiting until morning 
to sail, at about 9 P. M. when most of the crew were 
asleep a loud explosion came from the after part of 
the ship. Everyone jumped from their bunks, but I was 
sound asleep and they forgot to shake me up. I was for- 
tunate to wake up when I felt the heat that was pene- 
trating through the ship and heard the shouting that was 
going on. I jumped up and as I came out in the air the 
flames had spread all over the deck from the main almost 
to the foremast, while the crew were shifting nearer to 
the bow. The heat by this time was so intense they could 
not stand it much longer and as some of the boats were 
less than hailing distance from the vessel by this time, 
they shouted, "Boys, let us junro overboard before it is 
too late to save ourselves." They all went over but 
William waited until the last to get room enough to keep 
clear from the others. As he was like most of the young 
men who came from Holland, a good swimmer, he took it 
cool and was the last picked up by two fellows who came 
along looking to see if there were more to be picked up. 
Just as all the others were taken on shore he raised his 
hand and shouted, "Come along!" A few minutes after 
he was taken into the boat he was on the beach in a hotel. 
Here he met his shipmates all in one room squatting on 
the floor like so many cattle. Fortunately a well dressed 
man came in, looked at the poor sailors, asked a few 
questions, then went to those who were to blame for such 

173 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 



disgraceful treatment and snobbery. He asked what they 
were going to do with those unfortunate sailors ; let them 
lie there like cattle or give them a good bed to sleep in? 
That was enough for those who were to blame for the 
devilish act. Take an ignoramus, no matter how much of 
a blockhead, or any group of them, they have their cun- 
ning, more or less, and those who were to blame for this 
disgraceful snobbery were cunning enough to see where 
their bread and butter came from and soon gave them all 
a bed to sleep in. 

Early in the morning after breakfast they were taken 
to Philadelphia to their boarding house. My brother had 
an old cap and coat given to him and a few things were 
given to his shipmates when they left the hotel. The 
captain and the second mate were badly burned, but the 
mate was unhurt. They were rescued by a pilot 
boat, in the afternoon they all went to the English Cou- 
sul. I remember well his exact words of praise for the 
Consul. The latter told the sailors that anyone who 
wanted to go back to the boarding house could do so and 
take his time to get into another good ship. 

i i 1 do not want to pay the same price as you pay, for 
I can get as good a boarding place for all of you as there 
is in the city and for less money. If they want to keep 
you for my price they can do so. Let me know tomor- 
row.^ 

Then he wrote a note and handed it to one of the 
sailors, directing him to a clothing store where everyone 
could pick out his own suit and a little underclothing. 
There was silence for a few seconds and then with sad ex- 
pression he said, " After so many hardships, misfortunes 
and disappointments I was many times so sad that life it- 
self seemed a burden. Bernard, you can well imagine 
how I felt when this happened. I felt so good when I 

574 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

went to niy bunk with such hopes that everything might 
turn out all right. But alas! It was all against me 
wherever I went. I had no more hopes to be anything 
more than a tramp and lost all interest in what was going 
on as I passed along. 

Walking up and down the street for a while stopping 
in a hotel for a few minutes to refresh ourselves, we 
went back to the house and went to bed, both in one room. 
One of his experiences while in the navy, he told, is 
enough proof to anyone that does their own thinking that 
equal rights and privileges to everyone has been nothing 
but a boast for many years and growing from bad to 
worse as the years roll by. What would have happened 
if my brother had been a son of a prominent family with 
great influence in the so-called respectable families of 
the better class when he volunteered to be pushed into 
a gun that didn't work after trying three times to shoot 
it off against a fort they w T ere bombarding? No one 
knew what was the matter. After a little suspense the 
captain said something had to be done. As my brother 
was one of the smaller men of the crew he volunteered 
as I have stated before. They tied a rope to his ankles, 
but just as he was ready to be shoved in by a Swede the 
captain said, "Now Billy, when you get hold of the mua* 
zle of the bag give us a warning with a jerk on the rope." 
Then there was a silence ; not a word spoken, when pres- 
to, a good jerk on the rope told them he had hold of the 
deadly mass. They pulled him out slowly and the dan- 
ger was over, by doing a trick of which no living soul on 
board tin* Monitor knew what might have happened be- 
fore the deadly load was disturbed and pulled out. The 
least little spark would have shattered Billy to smith- 
ereens, without his knowing what happened. 

The captain promoted him from an orderly to an 
able seaman. That is all he got and very few people 

17« 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

knew that such a thing was ever done. If it had been a 
Hobson or some other boaster of the snobs, one would 
never hear the last of it. It took years for my brother 
to get a pension of $6.00 a month and after some more 
years $8.00, then $15, but he never received back pay. 
But that was his own fault. He was too easy. He needed 
pelf but he didn't know how to use it. He didn't drink 
nor carouse, but most anyone who came along with their 
lying stories had to have money to help them along the 
road. He was one of the easiest living souls I know of 
to get rid of his hard earned money withoat the least 
benefit to himself. On this one occasion he was robbed 
of a sum of money sufficient to give a poor person a good 
start. As he had no habits with the exception of smoking 
a pipe — as some of the refined would have it — he could 
save and then let it slip. 

After going to bed we talked until late in the night, 
when we dozed away and slept. We made up our minds 
to go to Silver Creek in the forenoon, as soon as I came 
back from Black Bock with what little money was due 
me and my donnage. We had a good sleep and after 
breakfast I started out and came back late in the after- 
noon. Leaving our sailors' outfit in the boarding house, 
we took the first train for Silver Creek. It is useless 
to state the surprise we felt when the three orphans 
met thirteen years after they had parted hundreds of 
miles away in a strange country and had come three 
thousand miles away across the deep blue waters. How 
she looked and looked when I asked, "Maria, don't you 
know this man?" But she could not guess. 

My brother had become baldheaded while he served 
in the War of the Rebellion, but what he lost on top of 
his head he allowed to grow on his upper lip, a black 
moustache. When I mentioned his name, the reader can 

m 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

well imagine the feeling of surprise at such a strange 
meeting under the circumstances. 

After a few days we went back to Buffalo and made 
a trip up the lakes together and back to Buffalo, and 
as we could not get a chance to ship together again we 
parted. After a while I received a letter from the up- 
per lakes. From that time we didn't hear anything from 
him and thought something must have happened that 
caused his death. The next year I sailed until late in 
the fall, when we started housekeeping and I did what 
I could in the woods. 

The next spring I started out for the lakes again 
as soon as they were open for navigation, and once 
more I left the girl behind with hopes that all might go 
well. But alas ! Who was it that knew what was going 
to happen; no one except a group of human parasites. 
It wasn't many weeks after I left Maria when I heard 
rumors about a panic. I soon found out that I had to 
go through a state of uneasiness when I arrived in the 
city of Erie. 

I calculated to make another trip on the same schoon- 
er, but there was nothing doing. She had to lay there 
until further orders. As there were but few vessels that 
came in or left there was no chance for mo. If there 
were any chances they were taken by those who had 
sailed on the Great Lakes for many years, and were 
more or less acquainted with the officers. The only thing 
I could do was to wait in hopes that something might 
turn up for the best. After a week of waiting and worry 
a man came along looking for help wanted in a brick 
yard. Another sailor and I went along and worked there 
more than a week and boarded with the same man who 
hired us, 

177 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREES ORPHANS 

Going back to Erie on foot, saving all I could of what 
little I earned, after I paid for my board, I took my time 
and in a few hours I walked into the same boarding 
house and again dropped my knapsack, with a stick tied 
to it, on the floor and sat down on the nearest seat and 
waited till someone came in. 

In a little while the lady of the house stepped in and 
after a few questions told me that there was hardly any- 
thing doing and she had no idea how long the panic 
would last. After several days of waiting I got a berth 
in a large two-masted schooner many years old. We were 
bound for Racine, Wis. When we arrived within about 
a mile from shore we dropped anchor. The next day the 
crew before the mast were paid off. 

As soon as I got what was due me, without asking any 
questions about the ifs and ands of the vessel, I started 
out with my bundle to the depot and took the train for 
Chicago. Like all shipping places, taking everything 
equal, she felt the panic as much as the little cities on 
the lakes. If it hadn't been for a friend, an engineer 
on a tugboat, I stood a good chance to tramp along the 
docks for many days. But as it happened that the deck 
hand left the tugboat on which my friend, W. Homan, 
was engineer, I took his place. 

Thinking about the poor girl, I left the tug in less than 
three weeks and took the train for home. After a couple 
of days I started out again for Buffalo. Making a few 
trips and finally winding up with a shipwreck in which 
everyone from the captain down lost everything they had 
when they first came on board except what we had on 
our backs. In the forenoon of the next day we got what 
money was coming to us. 

Unfortunate as it was and pitiful as we looked when 
we came on shore, walking up to a boarding house, it 

17* 



A TRUE HISTORY OF THREE ORPHANS 

•may seem strange to the reader when I state that it was 
the best thing that happened to me in all my wandering. 

As I had nothing to carry I wasted no time. I took 
the first train that came along for home. When I got 
within a rod of the house where Maria was doing some- 
thing, she saw me coming with my old clothing on, and 
an old cap on my head which someone gave me when we 
landed, and she held up her hands and with a soft voice 
asked, * ' What is the matter now, Bernard. ' ' "I am ship- 
wrecked, Maria. ' ' 

It was a sad meeting, but as we were young and had 
gone through so many hardships, after a while we began 
to reconcile ourselves with hopes for better days, when 
she said you better stay home and quit sailing and try 
to do what you can. 

After 6 o'clock on the next day one of my neighbors 
by the name of George Heir stopped at my place and 
asked if I wanted to work in the morning helping carry 
brick for a smoke-stack that was about half finished. As 
it got too high for his brother, he wanted me to take his 
place. I went to work with a good will. When the chim- 
ney was completed, Mr. Babcock, one of the proprietors, 
set me to work tending to the slaters. When I got ray 
first pay at $2.00 a day I thought I was getting rich. 

In order to surprise Maria I bought a big ham. When 
I got home I dropped it on a little table which had been 
given to me. 

"Why, Bernard, what have you got there! " "Look 
at it, Maria, we are going to live high. Poor girl, it 
seems things are beginning to loom up brighter now. We 
weathered the storm." 

When the roof was finished, my work was done, but 
I soon picked up little jobs here and there at $1.50 a day, 

170 



A TRUES HISTORY OP THREE ORPHANS 



which was considered good pay. I could do more with it 
than I can with $2.00 at the present time. Meats of all 
kinds were about one-third of what they are now ; fowls 
were cheap and eggs about the same. As for lumber 
and house rent, it was the cheapest thing on the mar- 
ket. 

Doing little jobs for every John, Dick and Harry who 
came along for a year or more, I got promoted through 
the influence of a lady friend. I started out to learn to 
be a house painter. I got a job painting the outside of 
a new house and a barn. 

I kept on painting right along, when about a year 
after, a knock came at the door one evening just about 
when we were ready to sit down to supper. As I opened 
the door, there was William, my brother, again. It was 
almost as much of a surprise as the first one. He had 
$30.00 with some clothing. He offered us every cent he 
had, but Maria and I weren't so selfish and avaricious 
as. to take every cent of a poor brother or a part of it. 
He stayed with us and worked with me almost up to his 
death. He outlived my wife six years. 

They are laid at rest among the silent majority 
where there is no grief and sorrow and no thoughts about 
tomorrow. 



(the end) 



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